Canada’s Bianca Andreescu wins its first match since the Madrid Open since October
Madrid – Bianca Andreescu beat US McCartney Kessler 6-2, 6-4 on Wednesday to beat US McCartney Kessler 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the Madrid Open.
The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ontario made all four breakthrough opportunities for Kessler. Americans are much more opportunistic, just one of her eight breakpoint opportunities.
Andreescu had only three aces at Clay Court in Madrid and only one double fault, winning 54.6% of the total points.
Canadians who compete in Canada will rank 132nd in the world in the second round and will face Kazakhstan’s No. 11 Elena Rybakina in the second round. Rybakina won two previous meetings.
Andreescu, a former world fourth and 2019 U.S. Open champion, lost 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (2) in the first round of the Open De Rouen last week, from a six-month absence to the WTA track.
Before that, her final game was a direct loss against Katie Boulter in the Tokyo quarterfinals in October, and then she took the time to focus on her health.
Andreescu was out for nine months after a back injury at the French Open last year, before taking a break between the first round of the U.S. Open exit and her two appearances in Japan.
She has two 1000-level wins in her career, both participating in her 2019 breakthrough campaign in Wells, California, and Toronto. She also advanced to the finals of the 2021 Miami Open.
In Thursday’s action, Leylah Fernandez, the 25th seed of Laval, Quebec, will face the United States’ Ann Li.
In the men’s moves, Montreal’s 18th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ontario’s 29th seed Denis Shapovalov will play the second round on Friday after finishing the first round Byes. Their opponent has not been determined yet.
