Canada's Bianca Andreescu secured a straight-sets victory over Sofia Kenin at the Italian Open on Wednesday, winning 6-4, 7-5 in a hard-fought first-round match. The Canadian showed resilience and precision, breaking Kenin's serve at crucial moments to clinch the win in just over an hour and a half.
Andreescu's Strong Start
Andreescu, a former US Open champion, came out aggressively, taking an early lead in the first set. She capitalized on Kenin's unforced errors and used her powerful groundstrokes to dictate play. Despite a late surge from Kenin, Andreescu held her nerve to close out the set 6-4.
Second Set Battle
The second set was a tighter contest, with both players exchanging breaks early on. Kenin, a former Australian Open champion, fought back from a 5-3 deficit to level the set at 5-5. However, Andreescu regained her composure, breaking Kenin again and serving out the match to love.
- Andreescu hit 15 winners compared to Kenin's 10.
- She converted 4 of 7 break points.
- The match lasted 1 hour and 38 minutes.
This victory marks Andreescu's first win over Kenin since 2019 and improves her record to 2-1 against the American. The Canadian will face either Petra Kvitova or Maria Sakkari in the second round.
Andreescu has been working her way back up the rankings after dealing with injuries in recent years. Her performance in Rome signals a potential return to top form as she prepares for the French Open later this month.
