A great escape!

Miami, March 22

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. With 28-year-old Romanian a set up and leading 5-1 in the second the Canadian appeared headed for an early exit before she fought back. Fighting off a match point at 5-2, the 18-year-old went on the attack by unleashing a barrage of drop shots and laser forehands to sweep five successive games from her crumbling opponent to force the second set into a tiebreak.

Third-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova breezed into the third round with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Three-time 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.

Prajnesh bows out

In men’s singles, Prajnesh Gunneswaran exited the tournament after a 7-6(3) 6-4 first-round loss to Spaniard Jaume Munar. Australia’s Bernard Tomic beat Thiago Monteiro 6-4 6-1. — AFP