Teenager Andreescu pulls off great escape in Miami

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.

The 18-year-old who stunned the tennis world last week by winning her first career title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells raised eyebrows again with a gritty and spirited comeback that underscored her status as a rising star.

“The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory,” Andreescu told reporters. “I have gained a lot of experience from today, but hopefully I don’t have to actually be down match point to win matches.

“Maybe I needed to almost lose to wake up. That’s obviously what happened today. I’m really grateful how I managed.

Only three women — Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka — have completed the ‘Sunshine Double’, winning both Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back, and Begu had looked ready to make sure Andreescu would not add her name to that list.

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 teenager 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.

By then the damage had been done, with a distraught and flustered Begu meekly surrendering the tiebreak before she slumped into her chair and hid under a towel in an attempt to regain composure.

When the action resumed little had changed as the surging Andreescu opened the deciding set with a break and Begu never recovered as the ruthless teenager closed out the contest to book a second-round meeting with American Sofia Kenin.

The victory was a promising omen for 24th-ranked Andreescu who two weeks earlier beat Begu in a tough three-setter in the opening round at Indian Wells.

(AP)