Suzan Lamens triumphed over Bianca Andreescu in a captivating first-round match at the Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole. Lamens secured a hard-fought victory against the former US Open champion with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(2). The intense battle lasted for 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Andreescu was competing for the first time since reaching the quarterfinals in Tokyo last October. Her comeback was unfortunately cut short. The Canadian player had been recovering from an emergency appendectomy in early February, which significantly impacted her ranking, dropping her to No. 130. Notably, this marks the second consecutive season where Andreescu`s year has begun during the clay court season, following a back injury that kept her off the court from August 2023 to May 2024.

Andreescu quickly engaged the audience with a classic, dramatic three-set match, reminiscent of her breakthrough year in 2019. Despite showing signs of rust in the first set with several errors, the 24-year-old found her rhythm in the second set. After breaking Lamens` serve early in the second set, the match became a closely contested affair, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats until the very last point.

Andreescu showcased her diverse playing style, effectively using slices and high topspin shots to disrupt the flow of rallies. She challenged Lamens with a variety of shots, often successfully. A particularly memorable point, crucial in 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. Subsequently, she clinched the second set, capitalizing on her second set point when a high topspin shot forced an error from Lamens.

However, Lamens, ranked No. 69 and winner of her first Hologic WTA Tour title in Osaka last autumn, proved to be a formidable opponent for Andreescu. Lamens` powerful forehand was central to her game, especially during the decisive third set where neither player conceded a break of serve. Her impressive defensive skills also repeatedly frustrated Andreescu. In the fourth game of the final set, Lamens endured a barrage of varied shots from Andreescu before executing a remarkable forehand pass while stretching.

Serving at 5-4 in the third set, Lamens reached her first two match points against Andreescu`s serve. Andreescu managed to save both match points in spectacular fashion, first with a powerful forehand winner, and then with a lucky net cord. Nevertheless, Lamens maintained her composure and dominated the ensuing tiebreak, sealing the match victory with two consecutive unreturned serves.

In the next round, Lamens is set to compete against No. 2 seed Linda Noskova. Noskova also had a challenging match, overcoming a set and a break deficit to defeat Bernarda Pera with scores of 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.