Bianca Andreescu victorious in her 1st match since capturing U.S. Open title

In a return to the court following her stunning U.S. Open title, Canadian Bianca Andreescu needed three sets but managed to advance at the China Open in Beijing on Monday.

The No. 5 seed overcame a rocky start to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 en route to her 14th-straight victory.

The 60th-ranked Sasnovich had her chances against the world No. 6, but notched just four of 16 break points.

Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., won 70 per cent of her points on first serve, as compared to 56 per cent for Sasnovich.

Andreescu will face Belgian Elise Mertens in the second round on Wednesday. The 19-year-old defeated Mertens in the quarter-finals at the U.S. Open earlier this month.

It’s been a whirlwind season for Andreescu, who also won the coveted Indian Wells tournament in California in March, and the Rogers Cup title in Toronto in August.

On Sunday, Andreescu qualified for the year-end WTA Finals, scheduled for Shenzhen, China from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3.

Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski also earned a berth doubles with partner Xu Yifan of China.