MIAMI: Canadian teenage sensation Bianca Andreescu pulled off a Miami Open great escape by fighting back from a set and match point down to beat a dazed Irina-Camelia Begu 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 in the first round on Thursday.

The 18-year-old who stunned the tennis world last week by winning her first career title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells raised eyebrows again with a gritty and spirited comeback that underscored her status as a rising star.

“The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory,” Andreescu told reporters. “I have gained a lot of experience from today, but hopefully I don’t have to actually be down match point to win matches. Maybe I needed to almost lose to wake up. That’s obviously what happened today. I’m really grateful how I managed.”

Only three women — Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka — have completed the ‘Sunshine Double’, winning both Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back, and Begu had looked ready to make sure Andreescu would not add her name to that list.

With 28-year-old Romanian a set up and leading 5-1 in the second the Canadian appeared headed for an early exit before she fought back.

Fighting off a match point at 5-2, the teenager went on the attack by unleashing a barrage of drop shots and laser forehands to sweep five successive games from her crumbling opponent to force the second set into a tiebreak.

By then the damage had been done, with a distraught and flustered Begu meekly surrendering the tiebreak before she slumped into her chair and hid under a towel in an attempt to regain composure.

When the action resumed little had changed as the surging Andreescu opened the deciding set with a break and Begu never recovered as the ruthless teenager closed out the contest to book a second-round meeting with American Sofia Kenin.

The victory was a promising omen for 24th-ranked Andreescu who two weeks earlier beat Begu in a tough three-setter in the opening round at Indian Wells.

Andreescu may be the youngest Indian Wells champion since Serena Williams in 1999 and the first wildcard to win one of the biggest tennis tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams but shared the spotlight on Thursday with Cori Gauff.

The 15-year-old American also turned heads beating compatriot Catherine McNally 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the second round and become the youngest player since 2009 to win a WTA Tour match.

Whitney Osuigwe, a 16-year-old qualifier, also earned her first WTA Tour victory. She beat Mari Osaka, the older sister of world number one Naomi Osaka, 6-2, 6-4.

World number two Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic downed Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-4, to become the first player into the third round.

Three-time Miami Open champion Venus Williams was also in good form, lighting up centre court by easing past Slovenian qualifier Dalila Jakupovic 7-5, 6-3 as both the sun and the fans returned to the tournament.

After two days of almost constant rain, Venus’ match on the 13,800-seat temporary stadium court kicked off a busy day as organisers scrambled to get back on schedule after rain washed out three of the first four sessions.

Jakupovic was serving for the first set and Williams was on the back foot before the qualifier wilted under the pressure and 43rd-ranked Venus booked a second-round matchup against Spanish 24th seed Carla Suarez Navarro.

Tenth seed Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and younger sister of Venus, will open in the second round against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson, who eliminated German qualifier Laura Siegemund 6-1, 5-7, 7-5.

It was a good day on the hardcourts for the Australian contingent as 12th seeded Ashleigh Barty advanced to the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

Former US Open champion Sam Stosur provided the first upset of the tournament knocking off 17th seeded American Madison Keys 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

In ATP first-round matches, Australia’s Bernard Tomic dispatched Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-1 and Aussie Jordan Thompson downed Britain’s Cameron Norrie 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2019