US Open champion Bianca Andreescu marked her return to competitive tennis with a win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich but did not have it all her own way at the China Open.
Bianca Andreescu secured her 15th victory in succession as she overcame Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round of the China Open, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1.
Playing her first match since winning the US Open, the WTA World No.6 scored her 44th win of 2019 but showed signs of rust as she struggled in the second set.
Ultimately, though, the 19-year-old had too much for her rival, booking a second-round match against Elise Mertens in four minutes short of two hours.
Sasnovich made a promising start to the match as she broke in the very first game before fighting to hold and move 2-0 up.
Thereafter, the opening set was one-way traffic. Andreescu suddenly snapped into gear, producing a comfortable hold to love then drawing level without dropping a point.
The Canadian was starting to move freely, and while her defensive play increased the pressure on her opponent to become ever more accurate, when she found time on the ball, her hitting was formidable.
It was not, however, a flawless set from the Indian Wells and Toronto champion. A lapse in concentration saw her fall behind 0-40 on serve but the game was salvaged in spectacular fashion. After a thumping ace, she produced an absurd overhead en route to moving 5-2 up.
