Bianca Andreescu advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 win over France's Harmony Tan on Monday.
As it turned out, Andreescu kick-started a successful opening day for Canadian singles players.
Ranked 50th in the world heading into the final Grand Slam of the season, Andreescu put the game away on her second match point when Tan missed on a forehand volley.
The 22-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., and 2019 champion, improved her all-time U.S. Open record to 11-1.
Andreescu started the match with a dominant first set, losing just eight points. She won 14 points in a row between the fourth and sixth games.
Tan came back with a strong second set, scoring two early breaks and jumping to a 4-0 lead. Andreescu cut the lead to 5-3, but Tan served to love in the decisive game to even the match at a set apiece.
Andreescu returned to form in the third set, scoring an early break in Game 2 and taking a 3-0 lead. Tan won on serve to cut the lead to 3-1, but Andreescu responded by serving to love in Game 5, then came back from 40-0 down to score the break and take a 5-1 lead.
Serving for the match, Andreescu clinched the victory on her second match point.
Tan had 28 unforced errors and eight double-faults in the match, compared to 17 unforced errors and just one double-fault for Andreescu.
Andreescu won six of nine break points, and defended one of the three she faced.
Andreescu will next face National Bank Open finalist Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, who cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win over Ana Konjuh of Croatia.
Vancouver native Rebecca Marino will also be moving on to the second round, earning a 6-2, 6-3 win over Poland's Magdalena Frech.
Marino, 31, won four of her seven break points to go along with 19 winners on the match.
She will next face Daria Snigur, who upset seventh seed Simona Halep 6-2, 0-6, 6-4.
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., who advanced to the 2021 U.S. Open final before losing to Britain's Emma Raducanu, had her evening match delayed some 90 minutes, but managed to bounce Oceane Dodin of France 6-3, 6-4. The tournament's 14th seed showed no signs of a foot injury that hampered her play in the National Bank Open.
"I had goose bumps stepping back into this court tonight," said Fernandez post-match. "I felt the love here tonight. I was a bit tired waiting all day long, but the crowd's cheers pushed me to the end. They (fans) also helped me calm my nerves and emotions."
In men's singles competition, sixth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal struggled at times with his serve, but still managed to coast to a quick 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win against Switzerland's Alexander Ritschard.
Auger-Aliassime had 13 aces in the match, eight double faults and took four of eight break points.
BASELINES: Canadian Denis Shapovalov will play his first singles match on Tuesday against Marc-Andrea Huesler of Switzerland.
