Caroline Wozniacki wins her first match of her tennis comeback with a straight-sets victory in Montreal
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Updated 08/08/2023 at 20:30 GMT
Caroline Wozniacki only announced in June that she would be coming out of retirement to make a competitive return to the WTA tour. Two months later and she has got her comeback off to the perfect start with straight-sets victory over world No. 115 Kimberly Burrell in Montreal. Wozniacki was handed a wild card for the WTA 1000 event and could meet Coco Gauff or Katie Boulter in the third round.
'I still have a lot to give to tennis' - Wozniacki on her return to the sport
Caroline Wozniacki has won her first match on her return to the WTA Tour, three years and eight months after her last match, with a 6-2 6-2 win over Australia's Kimberly Birrell in Montreal.
Wozniacki made the surprise announcement in June that she was returning to competitive action, having given birth to two children since stepping away from the sport following the 2020 Australian Open.
In her comeback announcement, Wozniacki stated she could return to the very top of women's tennis, and the Dane played like she had never been away as she got her comeback off to a fine start in Quebec.
"It feels great [to be back]," she said with a smile on her face in her on-court interview.
"Playing my first match I was definitely a bit rusty. But what an amazing place to come back and play my first match.
"I love playing here in Montreal. I have so many great memories here."
Wozniacki got off to a nervy start against Burrell as she dropped her serve in the very first game of the match, but responded by winning the next three games in a row.
Birrell pulled the break back to make it 3-2, but again Wozniacki replied with three successive games to take the opening set.
Both players improved on the first serves in the second set. The first break did not arrive until Wozniacki sealed a 4-2 lead on the Burrell serve when the Australian mishit a forehand.
Wozniacki rescued a break point in the very next game before taking a 5-2 lead. Moments later, she served out the second set in style to wrap up a confident win on her highly-anticipated return to the WTA Tour.
Should Wozniacki get through the second round, she could play Coco Gauff, who won the Citi Open in Washington at the weekend, or British No. 1 Katie Boulter in the third round.
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