Andreescu wins opening match at Australian Open

When faced with adversity in her first competitive match in 15 months, Bianca Andreescu recalled how she persevered in some of her big victories in her breakout 2019 season.

It helped the Canadian overcome a stiff challenge in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 first-round win over Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu on Monday at the Australian Open.

Serving at 3-3 in the deciding set and down love-40, Andreescu reeled off five straight points for the hold and took control of the match from there.

“I have a little bit of a feel of how it is to be in that situation,” she said. “But I was super-relieved to get that game because I’m sure things would have been different afterwards (otherwise).”

Andreescu said it reminded her of a similar three-set win over Angelique Kerber in the 2019 Indian Wells final.

A service break followed and Andreescu served out for the win, completing the victory with an overhead smash.

Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., and Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino posted straight-set victories in the morning draw. Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., earned wins later in the day.

Shapovalov, the No. 11 seed, was pushed the distance by Italy’s Jannik Sinner, needing all five sets to complete a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win over the 19year-old Italian in nearly four hours.

The 20th-seeded Auger-Aliassime cruised to a 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over German lucky loser Cedrik-Marcel Stebe.

Raonic, the No. 14 seed, dispatched Argentina's Federico Coria 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 while Marino beat Australian wild-card entry Kimberly Birrell 6-0, 7-6 (9).

It was Marino’s first Grand Slam appearance since 2013 and her first win at a major since 2011.

She qualified for the event by winning three matches earlier this month.

In Tuesday play, Canadian Leylah

Annie Fernandez has been ousted from the Australian Open.

The 18-year-old Fernandez was dropped in straight sets on Tuesday in the first round by 18th-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium. Mertens took the match 6-1, 6-3 in one hour 26 minutes.

“She’s still young, she’s a good player,” said Mertens. “If you let her play, she’s aggressive, she can play aggressive.” Fernandez, ranked 89th in the world, held serve to go up 1-0 in the opening set before Mertens reeled off six straight points.