MIAMI — Canadian teenage sensation Bianca Andreescu pulled off a Miami Open great escape by fighting back from a set and match point down to beat a dazed Irina-Camelia Begu 4-6, 7-6(7-2), 6-2 in the first round on Thursday.

The 18-year-old who stunned the tennis world last week by winning her first career title at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells raised eyebrows again with a gritty and spirited comeback that underscored her status as a rising star.

"The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory," Andreescu told reporters. "I have gained a lot of experience from today, but hopefully I don't have to actually be down match point to win matches.

"Maybe I needed to almost lose to wake up. That's obviously what happened today. I'm really grateful how I managed.

Only three women — Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka — have completed the 'Sunshine Double', winning both Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back, and Begu had looked ready to make sure Andreescu would not add her name to that list.

With 28-year-old Romanian a set up and leading 5-1 in the second the Canadian appeared headed for an early exit before she fought back.

Fighting off a match point at 5-2, the teenager went on the attack by unleashing a barrage of drop shots and laser forehands to sweep five successive games from her crumbling opponent to force the second set into a tiebreak.

By then the damage had been done, with a distraught and flustered Begu meekly surrendering the tiebreak before she slumped into her chair and hid under a towel in an attempt to regain composure.

When the action resumed little had changed as the surging Andreescu opened the deciding set with a break and Begu never recovered as the ruthless teenager closed out the contest to book a second-round meeting with American Sofia Kenin.

The victory was a promising omen for 24th-ranked Andreescu who two weeks earlier beat Begu in a tough three-setter in the opening round at Indian Wells.

Andreescu may be the youngest Indian Wells champion since Serena Williams in 1999 and the first wildcard to win one of the biggest tennis tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams but shared the spotlight on Thursday with Cori Gauff.

The 15-year-old American also turned heads beating compatriot Catherine McNally 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, to claim her first WTA Tour level win and advance to the second round. While both Andreescu and Gauff need three sets to advance, third-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova breezed into the third round with a 6-1, 6-4, victory over Greece's Maria Sakkari.

Three-times Miami Open champion Venus Williams was also in good form, lighting up center court by easing past Slovenian qualifier Dalila Jakupovic 7-5, 6-3, as both the sun and the fans returned to the tournament.

After two days of almost constant rain, Williams' match on the 13,800-seat temporary stadium court kicked off a busy day as organizers scrambled to get back on schedule after rain washed out three of the first four sessions.

Jakupovic was serving for the first set and Williams was on the back foot before the qualifier wilted under the pressure and 43rd-ranked Williams booked a second-round matchup against Spanish 24th seed Carla Suarez Navarro.

Tenth seed Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and younger sister of Venus, will open in the second round against Sweden's Rebecca Peterson, who eliminated German qualifier Laura Siegemund 6-1, 5-7, 7-5.

Venus credits her mother, Oracene Price, with instilling the character and desire to match the Tennis skills developed by their father and long-time coach Richard Williams.

"Growing up in my home, we weren't allowed to be weak, so it just wasn't an option," Venus Williams said. "The only option was to be strong. You had a choice of being strong or being strong, so we were strong."

Williams, a three time Miami Open champion, is the oldest player in the women's singles draw but has no problem striving for more titles.

"I don't think there is really any sacrifices," she said. "I think it's really only pluses, especially if you're able to execute on your dream. That's really what anyone and everyone wants.

"One of the challenges is that it's really a lifestyle and there is never any moment where you're not trying to get better or that you forget about Tennis. You just feel intense pressure to get better and to work."

Three consecutive breaks saw 80th-ranked Jakupovic ease into an early 3-2 lead with Williams struggling on serve, and she served for the first set at 5-4 before Williams answered to claim a set that saw seven service breaks in all. Williams stormed ahead 5-1 in the second set and cruised from there.

Williams, in a record 20th Miami appearance, knows she faces a tougher test in Suarez Navarro even though she owns a 6-3 career edge on the Spaniard.

"She's crafty, feisty, and competitive," Williams said. "She plays maybe a little more topspin than others and then some slice. So it's a little bit atypical game."

Mari Osaka, the older sister of world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, was ousted in her opening match, falling to American Whitney Osuigwe 6-2, 6-4.

It was a good day on the hardcourts for the Australian contingent as 12th seeded Ashleigh Barty advanced to the third round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska.

Former US Open champion Sam Stosur provided the first upset of the tournament knocking off 17th seeded American Madison Keys 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

In ATP first-round matches, Australia's Bernard Tomic dispatched Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-1 and Aussie Jordan Thompson downed Britain's Cameron Norrie 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.

New French Open court unveiled

as prize money increases

French Open organizers on Thursday unveiled the brand new Court Simonne Mathieu, hoping the 5,000-seat arena will boost the tournament's atmosphere as they raised the prize money by more than eight percent.

Named after France's second-most decorated female player, the arena is nestled among the area's graceful 19-century greenhouses.

The prize money has been raised from 39.2 million euros ($44.48 million) up to 42.6 million, with the singles' winners each earning a check of 2.3 million euros.

Tournament director Guy Forget doesn't yet know which players will be the first to step onto the brand new court when the French Open starts on May 26, but he is certain the arena will be worthy of the occasion.

"Wimbledon, the U.S. and Australian Open spread out, they have facilities that are more modern, more comfortable, we were a bit lagging behind," Forget said.

"Thanks to this court and the stadium that has been growing in size, we will be able to welcome all the fans in perfect conditions."

Concern for the greenhouses was at the heart of the fierce opposition the French Tennis Federation faced when it announced the revamp, because the plan involved expanding the venue into the picturesque Serres d'Auteuil.

The famed botanical garden is home to 6,000 square meters of greenhouses built in 1898 and contain works by the sculptor Auguste Rodin, and the Roland Garros expansion has added more than 1,300 sqm of greenhouses to the existing ones.

The center court, Court Philippe Chatrier, has been partially restored before being equipped with a retractable roof for the 2020 edition. — Agencies