Two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka made a winning return to competitive tennis at the Mallorca Open on Wednesday but not before averting a disaster. Japan’s World No. 74 Risa Ozaki made it very tough for the Belarusian, who is making her comeback after giving birth to son Leo in December.
Azarenka had to save three match points before eking out a narrow 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7) win in 2 hours 44 minutes that was her first match since last year’s French Open.
The new mother showed glimpses of her brilliance as she broke her opponent four times en route to grabbing the first set, 6-3 on Tuesday. But an inspired Ozaki stormed back as Azarenka started peppering the court with unforced errors.
Ozaki made in-roads into the Azarenka serve once to level the match and then looked the dominant player for the better part of the decider.
The Belarusian struggled hard on her forehand wing and winners were far and few between which galvanised the Ozaki comeback even further. The Japanese snatched two quick breaks of serve to build a massive 4-1 lead.
Azarenka did manage to retrieve one of the breaks back. Then, in a dramatic twist, the match got suspended due to insufficient light right before Ozaki was to serve it out at 5-4.
When it resumed on Wednesday, the unranked Azarenka immediately broke back only to see her good work getting undone by a sloppy service game. She got broken to love yet the Japanese could not capitalise on it.
The set progressed to a tie-break where it was again Ozaki who led 5-3 and Azarenka had to do the hard work of clawing her way back.
The former World No. 1 then needed three match points of her own and all her fiery spirit to carve out the marathon win with a blazing backhand winner.
The 27-year-old next faces the seventh seed and World No. 28 Ana Konjuh for a place in the quarter-finals.
Azarenka was originally supposed to resume competitive play during the US Open Series in July end. But with her training and preparation going on well, she decided to prepone her much-awaited return by a month.
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