Canada’s Bianca Andreescu (Mississauga, ON) defeated Belgium’s Ysaline Bonaventure 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the first round of Roland Garros. Andreescu used her movement and experience in tough matches to overcome Bonaventure’s power and a rain delay in the third set.

Andreescu took an early 2-0 lead in the first set as she held and broke serve early. Bonaventure won the next three games to take her first lead in the match, 3-2. Bonaventure continued to apply pressure as she took a commanding 5-3 lead. Bonaventure’s power proved to be too much in the first set as she took the first set 6-3.

The left-handed Belgian kept her momentum going in the second set racing to a quick 40-15 lead in the first game. An unforced error off Andreescu’s backhand gave Bonaventure the game and a 1-0 lead in the second set. Andreescu continued to struggle as she lost serve on a Bonaventure forehand winner, now trailing 2-0. Finding some rhythm, Andreescu broke Bonaventure’s serve in the third game but was unable to hold serve and as the Belgian took a commanding 3-1 lead. Re-setting her focus in the fifth game, Andreescu hit three winners to break Bonaventure’s serve. Defending three break points, Andreescu leveled the second set 3-3 forcing an error from Bonaventure’s forehand.

The former U.S. Open Champion continued to apply pressure on Bonaventure’s serve, hitting several winners off the Belgian’s second serve, eventually levelling the match 5-5. Serving at 6-5, Andreescu hit three winners and forced two errors from Bonaventure to send the match to a third and deciding set.

In the third set Andreescu took an early 1-0 lead as she broke Bonaventure thanks to a powerful forehand winner after a 12-shot rally. Building on her momentum, Andreescu quickly took a 3-0 lead before a rain delay in the 4th game suspended play at AD-40. Returning from the rain delay, Andreescu continued where she left-off, with a backhand winner to take a 4-0 lead. Serving in the 6th game, Andreescu quickly closed-out the match to win the 3rd set 6-0.

This was only the second match Andreescu and Bonaventure have played, with the Belgian taking the previous match 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in Toronto at the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (then Rogers Cup presented by National Bank) in 2017.

Making the second round of Roland Garros matches Andreescu’s previous best in Paris having made the second round in 2019. This season Andreescu has a 7-2 record on clay. Next Andreescu will play Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. Andreescu and Bencic have played once before with the Canadian having won 7-6, 7-5 at the 2019 U.S. Open in the semi-finals.

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