Andreescu pulls off great escape

miami — Canadian teenage sensation Bianca Andreescu pulled off a Miami Open great escape by fighting back from a set and match point down to beat a dazed Irina-Camelia Begu 4-6 7-6(2) 6-2 in the first round on Thursday.

The 18-year-old who stunned the tennis world last week by winning her first career title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells raised eyebrows again with a gritty and spirited comeback that underscored her status as a rising star.

Andreescu may be the youngest Indian Wells champion since Serena Williams in 1999 and the first wildcard to win one of the biggest tennis tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams but shared the spotlight on Thursday with Cori Gauff.

The 15-year-old American also turned heads beating compatriot Catherine McNally 3-6 6-3 6-4 to claim her first WTA Tour level win and advance to the second round.

While both Andreescu and Gauff need three sets to advance, third-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova breezed into the third round with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Greece’s Maria Sakkari.

Three-times Miami Open champion Venus Williams was also in good form, lighting up centre court by easing past Slovenian qualifier Dalila Jakupovic 7-5 6-3 as both the sun and the fans returned to the tournament.

It was a good day on the hardcourts for the Australian contingent as 12th seeded Ashleigh Barty advanced to the third round with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.