Hibino saves match point, ousts Andreescu in Roland Garos qualifying

Nao Hibino came from match point down to upset Bianca Andreescu in the second round of Roland Garros qualifying.

Japan's Nao Hibino ended No. 17 seed Bianca Andreescu's return to Roland Garros qualifying after pulling off a remarkable second-round comeback to win 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in 2 hours and 31 minutes. Hibino saved one match point trailing 5-3 in the second set.

Andreescu had opened her qualifying campaign with the first 6-0, 6-0 win of her career over Yao Xinxin. She picked up where she left off in a dominant first set against Hibino, carving a series of winning drop shots and deploying fine variety from the baseline. No. 200-ranked Hibino found some form to take a 3-1 lead in the second set, but Andreescu responded by powering through the next four games in a row to reach the brink of victory.

However, Hibino fired an inside-in forehand winner from deep beyond the baseline to save match point, and from that point on began to deliver some brilliant all-court tennis to turn the match in her favor. The former No. 56 and three-time WTA titlist began to read Andreescu's game and come up with answers for everything: flat counter-punching from the baseline to wrong-foot the Canadian, canny net approaches to cut off volleys and her own deft counter-drop shots.

Hibino played a magnificent return game to break Andreescu for 5-5, then from 5-2 down in the tiebreak reeled off five straight points to level the match. A pair of Andreescu forehand errors opened the door, but at 5-5 in the tiebreak, Hibino stepped up with a pair of superb backhand winners to snatch the set.

A barnburner of a third set saw Hibino capture the only break for 3-2 as Andreescu sent a backhand wide. Both players ended the match with positive ratios of winners to unforced errors -- Hibino tallying 30 to 24, and Andreescu 43 to 33. Hibino will next bid for a place in her seventh Roland Garros main draw against No. 12 seed Ella Seidel, who defeated Panna Udvardy 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

More to come...

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