It is clear that Bianca Andreescu feels comfortable when the match goes the distance.
Coming into her first Grand Slam match since battling a shoulder injury, the Canadian lost the first set 7-5 to 20-year-old Marie Bouzkova. It was clear that Andreescu was showing some apparent rustiness after not being on the court for a few months.
But the Mississauga, Ontario native never gave up under the rising pressure. Like she has done this entire season, Andreescu raised her game with dominant serving and powerful ground strokes. She would win the next two sets 6-4 6-4, winning her first match at Roland Garros and advancing to the second round.
“It was great to see Romanians and Canadians in the crowd supporting,” said Andreescu after her match. “I am a bit sore now, but happy that I was able to be strong at the end.”
Bianca Andreescu Handles Delay in Match with Ease
Bianca Andreescu is one of the signature rising stars on the WTA Tour. After becoming the youngest to ever win at Indian Wells in March, it was evident that Andreescu’s tenacious style was earning her respect amongst her peers and fans around the world.
The Canadian clearly knows how to handle surprises. After stealing the second set from Bouzkova 6-4, where there were six breaks of serve in the set alone, play had to be suspended because of darkness. While most youngsters would come out scared and tentative the next day, Andreescu was aggressive on her serve and put more balls with pace in the court.
“I was missing way too much yesterday,” admits Andreescu. “It wasn’t one of my best matches. But I fought with what I had and that was the best for me.”
Roland Garros meant that Andreescu required a lot of preparation to be ready for the clay court surface. Before arriving, she spent countless hours at Rafael Nadal’s Academy in Mallorca, Spain. The training to get her shoulder into tournament condition was exactly what she needed to be ready for actual match play.
“Overall, I’m feeling good,” said Andreescu. “I’m going to continue to get treatment and get better over the tournament.
Rough Battle Propels Andreescu to Second Round
Overall in her first round match, Andreescu showed tremendous promise. Serving 61% with two aces and 58 winners, she now faces American Sofia Kenin, whom she beat at the Miami Open.
But what is most impressive of all is the ability of Andreescu to play better when her back is against the wall. When she is down a set this season, the Canadian has gone 9-0.
With Bianca being the only Canadian left in the draw, the country is hoping that she continues to trend in the upward direction over the course of the fortnight.
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