MADRID — Bianca Andreescu celebrated her return to the WTA 1000 circuit on Wednesday with an impressive 6-2, 6-4 victory over American McCartney Kessler during their opening match at the Madrid Open.
The 24-year-old, hailing from Mississauga, Ontario, showcased her skill by capitalizing on all four break-point opportunities, while Kessler managed to convert only one of her eight break-point chances.
Andreescu served up three aces against just one double fault on the clay courts, securing 54.6% of total points throughout the match.
Ranked 132nd in the world, the Canadian tennis star is set to face Kazakhstan’s world No. 11, Elena Rybakina, in the second round, having lost to her in both of their previous encounters.
A former world No. 4 and the champion of the 2019 U.S. Open, Andreescu made a comeback from a six-month hiatus last week, facing a tough 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (2) defeat in her first-round match against Suzan Lamens at the Open de Rouen.
Prior to that, her last competitive appearance was a straight-set loss to Katie Boulter in the Tokyo quarterfinals back in October, before she took time off to focus on her well-being.
Last year, she returned from a nine-month recovery due to a back injury at the French Open, followed by a break after a first-round exit at the U.S. Open and two subsequent tournaments in Japan.
Andreescu’s career includes two wins at the 1000-level, both achieved during her remarkable 2019 season in Indian Wells and Toronto, along with a spot in the finals at the 2021 Miami Open.
In Thursday’s line-up, 25th seed Leylah Fernandez from Laval, Quebec, is set to clash with Ann Li from the United States.
Meanwhile, in the men’s competition, 18th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal and 29th seed Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ontario, are gearing up for their second-round matches on Friday, having received first-round byes. Their opponents will be announced soon.
