By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday October 10, 2022
Bianca Andreescu is rested after a month off, and displaying fine form.
Photo Source: Getty
The San Diego Open kicked off in style on Monday in Southern California, with big names in action across the order of play.
2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu played her first tennis since the US Open, meeting up with Luidmila Samsonova in the night session, while 2022 Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins did the same, squaring off with US Open semifinalist Caroline Garica.
There was also 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, looking for form and fitness after a long run of injury bad luck, who faced Coco Vandeweghe (same story could be told about her).
In total, six singles tilts took place, with Andreescu wrapping up the Day 1 festivities with a 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-2 triumph over 23rd-ranked Luidmila Samsonova after 10 PM. For the Canadian, who took time to rest and recharge after the US Open, spending a week at her happy place in Costa Rica, there is hope that her best tennis may come late in the season – she plans to play Guadalajara next week and a 125K event during the week of the WTA Finals.
The former World No.4, now ranked 57, is certainly out on the right foot after breaking Samsonova five times (from 15 opportunities) and handing the Russian just her second loss in 20 outings. The Citi Open, Cleveland and Tokyo champion couldn’t handle Andreescu down the stretch as the Mississauga, Ontario native saved both break points she faced and broke in the first and fifth game of the deciding set to pull away.
“I know the match was very tight, it could have gone either way,” Andreescu said. “But I felt that I was putting more pressure than she was and maybe I was a little more consistent.”
Andreescu could face American Coco Gauff for the first time in the second round at the Barnes Tennis Center, if the No.6 seed is able to get past American qualifier Robin Montgomery in first-round action on Tuesday in San Diego.
Earlier on Monday Collins made her return to the court and battled past Caroline Garcia for her ninth career Top-10 triumph, 6-2, 7-6(4).
Garcia, a heavy-hitting first-strike artist who has been in blossom mode since the spring, has been a tour de force in 2022, but Collins was able to play the match on her terms.
"Caro has been playing incredible this year, a lot of great achievements especially over the summer and a lot of matches under her belt playing big tennis, first-strike, hitting really good serves and returns, taking the ball early and trying to end the point really quickly, not giving much rhythm," she said, according to WTATennis.com. "I knew that going in, and I just had to go out and beat her to the punch as much as possible."
The American will square off with Martina Trevisan, who defeated Camila Osorio 6-3, 6-4, next.
All of the top four seeds have first-round byes in San Diego.
Top-seeded Iga Swiatek will face either Elena Rybakina or Garbine Muguruza in her first match in California since winning Indian Wells; second-seeded Paula Badosa will face American Louisa Chirico, who defeated Alison Riske-Amritraj 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5); third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka will face either Jil Teichmann or Sloane Stephens in round two, and fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula lines up with American qualifier Coco Vandeweghe.
Vandeweghe knocked off Kenin in first-round action on Monday, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.