Top-seed Bianca Andreescu is off to a winning start at the Thailand Open tennis tournament after posting a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Britain’s Harriet Dart on Tuesday.
Andreescu, from Mississauga, Ont., was consistent on either side of the court, winning 56.0 per cent of service points and 56.1 per cent of return points.
She had two aces to Dart’s none, and committed just one double-fault to Dart’s five.
Both players struggled when facing break point. Andreescu defended just one of the four break points she faced, but converted six of her eight break chances.
Andreescu improved her career record against Dart to 3-1.
The Canadian faces Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova on Wednesday in a second-round match.
Andreescu entered the tournament as the 42nd-ranked player on the WTA Tour. She advanced to the second round of the Australian Open earlier this month, beating 25th seed Marie Bouzkova in the first round before falling to world No. 86 Cristina Bucsa.
Also Tuesday, in first-round action at the Copa Oster in Cali, Colombia, seventh seed Carol Zhao of Toronto was defeated 6-4, 6-3 by Colombia’s Emiliana Arango.