Suzan Lamens halted Bianca Andreescu`s attempted return to form in a dramatic first-round encounter at the Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole. Lamens prevailed over the former US Open champion with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(2) in a thrilling match that lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes.
Andreescu was competing for the first time since reaching the quarterfinals in Tokyo last October. Her career has been unfortunately punctuated by injuries and illnesses, the most recent being an emergency appendectomy revealed in early February. This has caused her ranking to slip to No. 130 this week. Notably, this is the second consecutive season where Andreescu`s season start has been delayed until the clay court swing, following a back injury that sidelined her from August 2023 to May 2024.
It didn`t take long for Andreescu to engage in one of her signature, unpredictable three-set matches, reminiscent of her captivating 2019 breakthrough season. Despite early signs of rust in the first set, where errors were frequent, Andreescu found her footing in the second. Breaking Lamens at the beginning of the set, she turned the match into a closely fought contest right down to the wire.
Andreescu showcased her diverse playing style, mixing sliced shots and high topspin balls to disrupt the rhythm of rallies. She effectively utilized a wide array of shots against Lamens, often with success. A particularly memorable point, crucial to the second set, saw Andreescu conclude a 20-shot rally with a stunning forehand winner down the line, breaking serve for a 5-4 lead. She then secured the set in the subsequent game, capitalizing on an error forced from Lamens by a high topspin shot.
However, Lamens, ranked No. 69 and winner of her first WTA title in Osaka last autumn, proved to be a formidable opponent. Lamens` powerful forehand is a key element of her game and was instrumental throughout the deciding third set, in which neither player conceded a break of serve. Her impressive defensive skills also frustrated Andreescu on numerous occasions. In the fourth game of the final set, Lamens absorbed a barrage of varied shots before executing a forehand pass at full stretch.
Serving at 5-4 in the third set, Lamens reached her first two match points on Andreescu`s serve. Andreescu managed to save both in dramatic fashion – first with a powerful forehand winner, and then with a lucky net cord. Despite this, Lamens maintained her composure and dominated the ensuing tiebreak, sealing the victory with two consecutive unreturned serves.
Lamens will now proceed to face No. 2 seed Linda Noskova in the next round. Noskova herself had to battle back from a set and a break down to overcome Bernarda Pera with a score of 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
