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Canada’s Bianca Andreescu (left) shakes hands with England’s Emma Raducanu after their match on day three of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
Canada’s Bianca Andreescu beat Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-3 3-6 6-2 at the Miami Open on Wednesday, in a first-round match of the former US Open champion who is looking to recapture her best form after a string of injuries.
Andreescu, who lost in the third round to world number one Iga Swiatek in Indian Wells, served seven aces and saved 11 of 12 break points she faced against Raducanu to set up a match with Greek seventh seed Maria Sakkari.
“I just came here wanting to play my best with what I have now, I think I did,” Andreescu said during an interview on the court.
“I didn’t let my negative emotions get the better of me. I stayed positive, I was very energetic and I never gave up. That was the key today.”
The 22-year-old Canadian broke first for a 2-0 lead when Raducanu sent a forehand long and stayed in control as he closed out the opener in the fourth set point when the Englishman sent a backhand into the net.
Raducanu was the aggressor in the second set and got the edge he needed in the eighth game winning the seventh break point for a 5-3 lead before serving out for the set.
In the decider, world number 31 Andreescu came back from 0-40 down to hold serve in the opening game and broke for a 4-2 lead when Raducanu desperately hit a one-handed backhand that was sent long.
With the finish line in sight, Andreescu ended the two-hour, 32-minute match on the first match point with another break when Raducanu sent a forehand long.
Andreescu, who retired after suffering a shoulder injury during his semi-final match at the Thailand Open in February, is still looking for his first title since the 2019 US Open.
Raducanu, who arrived in Miami after losing to Swiatek in the fourth round at Indian Wells, has also struggled with injuries and inconsistencies since bursting onto the scene with a stunning victory at the 2021 US Open.
In addition to the wrist injury that cut short his 2022 season, Raducanu suffered ankle problems in the run-up to the Australian Open and tonsillitis forced him to withdraw from the Austin Open last month.
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