Tears as Andreescu returns to action

MELBOURNE • Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu cried the night before her much-anticipated return from a 15-month injury setback and again burst into tears yesterday after a tough victory in the Australian Open.

The eighth seed was forced to save three break points in the seventh game of the deciding set before prevailing 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 against Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu in 2hr 2min.

The Canadian capped her comeback with a 27th winner against the world No. 138 as she wiped away tears to complete an emotional 24 hours.

"Last night I did cry, and I'm not afraid to say that because everyone cries sometimes," she said.

"But it's a good release for me because in my head, all I was thinking about were the last 15 months and how tough they were, and they were tough for many reasons.

"It wasn't necessarily easy, but I got through them. I have amazing people around me who help me along the way, and I have to thank them for that because I wouldn't be able to do it without them."

Andreescu was set to make her comeback as top seed in the warm-up Grampians Trophy, but pulled out as a precautionary measure after spending 14 days in hard lockdown after arriving in Australia.

Her coach Sylvain Bruneau's positive test for Covid-19 was among those that sent over 70 players into quarantine.

She had not played a competitive match since suffering a left knee injury at the WTA Finals in October 2019, halting her rapid rise after a stunning straight-sets victory over Serena Williams in the final at Flushing Meadows that year.

The 20-year-old, the first player from her country to win a Grand Slam singles title, turned to meditation to help her cope with the long lay-off.

"I've been doing really well with just staying in the present moment," she said.

"I think that was a key factor of why I won today. To me, it's kind of embedded in myself somehow. I was just super happy on the court and grateful to be back."

She faces a second-round match-up against Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Su-wei, who beat US Open quarter-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 7-5, 6-2.

Andreescu won their only previous meeting at the 2019 Auckland Open to reach her first WTA final.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE