Andreescu beats Mururuza at Adelaide International

Associated PressJan 1, 2023, 8:30 AM EST

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ADELAIDE, Australia – Canada’s Bianca Andreescu rallied to beat Garbine Muguruza of Spain 0-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 in a clash of Grand Slam champions in the first round of the Adelaide International.

The 2019 U.S. Open champion Andreescu trailed 0-6, 2-5 before staging a remarkable comeback to beat two-time major titlist Muguruza in 2 hours, 12 minutes. Andreescu improved her head-to-head record against former top-ranked Muguruza to 3-0.

“In the second set I really had to change my gameplan,” Andreescu said. “I told myself to go for it (and) whatever happens happens.

“I put more returns in the court, more serves in the court. I’m so glad I pulled that out. I have no idea how.”

Muguruza looked in outstanding form in the first set, hitting eight winners to two and converting three of five break points while not facing a break point herself.

Andreescu started the second set more strongly but Muguruza nailed a forehand winner to lead 4-2 and served for a 5-2 lead. Muguruza served for the match at 5-3 but Andreescu averted that danger and took a crucial 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker with a backhand down the line, before closing out the set with an ace.

Andreescu served well, then broke for 3-1 in the final set. She will now play either No.4 seed Veronika Kudermetova or Amanda Anisimova in the second round.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic is expected to play his first round singles against Constant Lestienne of France on Monday. All eyes will be on Djokovic who returns to Australia after being deported last year because of visa problems caused by his vaccination stance.

Djokovic won the Adelaide International as a 19-year-old in 2007 for his third ATP Tour title.

“I chose Adelaide because I wanted to get a tournament ahead of Australian Open,” Djokovic told reporters this week. “I wanted a normal 250 event.

“Judging by the list of players that are playing in a 250 event it’s not really 250 event. It’s maybe a 500 event or maybe a 1000. Some of the best players in the world playing here, both men and women’s side.”

“The field is super strong. You have Medvedev, Felix, Rublev. You have really, really top guys. Also in the opening rounds you can play Thanasi Kokkinakis, who is title defender, right?”

Jabeur bounces back at French Open, Ruud and Andreeva advance

Associated PressMay 30, 2023, 11:32 AM EDT

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PARIS — Ons Jabeur got a do-over on Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open and won this time.

A year after her first-round exit, the No. 7 seed Jabeur beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-1 to help erase some bad memories and answer questions about a recent calf injury.

The Tunisian, a crowd favorite in Paris, smiled and expressed relief in not repeating last year’s mistake, when she lost to Magda Linette of Poland.

“I’m very happy to win my first match on Philippe Chatrier – because I’ve never won here,” Jabeur said on court about the clay-court tournament’s main stadium.

Now she can focus on trying to win her first major. She was runner-up at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year.

The 28-year-old Jabeur has also battled injuries this season. She had knee surgery after the Australian Open, and was then sidelined with a calf injury. She had stopped playing against top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the clay-court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, in late April and then pulled out of the Madrid Open.

“It was a very difficult period for me after Stuttgart,” said Jabeur, adding that she’s beginning to find her rhythm.

Jabeur struck 27 winner’s to Bronzetti’s seven, though with 24 unforced errors she’ll have room to improve.

Mirra Andreeva had a memorable Grand Slam debut by dominating Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-2, 6-1. Andreeva’s older sister – 18-year-old Erika – was facing Emma Navarro later in the day.

Later, Swiatek gets her French Open title defense started against Cristina Bucsa, who is ranked 70th.

On the men’s side, No. 4 seed Casper Ruud beat qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, to remind the higher-profile tournament favorites that he was runner-up to Rafael Nadal last year at Roland Garros.

New mom Elina Svitolina beats seeded player at French Open in 1st Slam match in 16 months

Associated PressMay 30, 2023, 11:27 AM EDT

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PARIS — So much has changed for Elina Svitolina, who played – and won – her first Grand Slam match in nearly 1 1/2 years at the French Open, eliminating 2022 semifinalist Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-2.

For one thing, she’s now a mother: Svitolina and her husband, French tennis player Gael Monfils, welcomed their daughter, Skaï, in October. For another, Svitolina is now ranked 192nd, nowhere near the career high of No. 3 she first reached in 2017, back in the days when she was regularly reaching the second weeks of major tournaments – including a pair of semifinal runs. Away from the courts, her home country of Ukraine was invaded by Russia last year, and the war continues.

“Everything,” she said, “is kind of old and new for me right now.”

In sum, Svitolina is juggling a lot nowadays.

She hadn’t played at a Slam since a third-round exit at the Australian Open in January 2022. She hadn’t played a match anywhere since March 2022, when she was still ranked 20th.

“It was always in my head … to come back, but I didn’t put any pressure on myself, because obviously with the war going on, with the pregnancy, you never know how complicated it will go,” the 28-year-old Svitolina said.

The work to return to the tour after giving birth began this January; her initial WTA match came at Charleston, South Carolina, in April. She won her first title since returning to action, at a smaller event on red clay in Strasbourg, France.

At Roland Garros, she used her big forehand to compile a 20-12 edge in winners and never faced a single break point against Trevisan, who was seeded 26th.

Trevisan cried as she spoke after the match about a problem with her right foot that made it difficult to even walk and prompted her to stop playing during her quarterfinal last week at the Morocco Open, where she was the defending champion.

Still, she gave Svitolina credit.

“Even though she’s just coming back from having a daughter, she’s a champion,” Trevisan said. “And she’s coming off a title, so she’s confident.”

Svitolina talked about feeling “awful when you’re pregnant, especially the last months,” but getting into a position now where she thinks she’s stronger than before – in more ways than one.

“I feel that I can handle the work that I do off the court and, match by match, I’m getting better. Also mentally, because mental (state) can influence your physicality, as well,” she said. “I tried to find the balance, and I feel like I’m seeing (things) a little bit again differently as well after the break. Everything is getting there. The puzzles are getting slowly into place.”