Playing in her first match in over a month, 20-year-old Bianca Andreescu defeated qualifier Tereza Martincova 7-6(5), 6-2 in the round of 64 at the 2021 Miami Open on Friday.
Despite serving up eight double-faults, Andreescu was able to overcome a nervy first set to overwhelm her 26-year-old opponent. The Mississauga, Ont., native fought through some obvious rust against a very much in-form Martincova, who posed an early threat despite being ranked 96 places lower than World No. 9 Andreescu.
Martincova got the first break of the match at 2-1 of the first set, putting pressure on the Canadian in the early going. However, Andreescu remained unfazed and immediately won the next four points to break the Czech's serve and put the women right back on level terms.
At 4-3, Martincova would again win a break point, allowing the underdog to serve for the set. But Andreescu responded in kind once more, saving two set points to break her opponent's serve. The women battled to a tie break, in which Andreescu's tenacity shone through to give the favourite the advantage.
The momentum shift undid Martincova as Andreescu powered her way through the second set. The Canuck raced to a 5-0 lead before Martincova fought back, getting to 5-2 before Andreescu sealed the match.
Andreescu moves on to face 19-year-old Amanda Anisimova in the round of 32, live and on-demand on DAZN.