Australian Open 2021: Tearful Bianca Andreescu wins on return to action after year-long injury hiatus

Melbourne: Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu burst into tears Monday after a tough three-set victory over Mihaela Buzarnescu in the Australian Open marked a much-anticipated return from a year-plus injury.

The eighth seed was forced to save three break points in the seventh game of the deciding set before prevailing 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 against the Romanian in two hours and two minutes.

She capped her comeback in style with a 27th winner as she wiped away tears.

"It means a lot to win. It was all worth it. I never gave up," said the emotional Canadian.

"I really do believe in my capabilities and I'm looking forward to my next match."

Andreescu, 20, was set to make her comeback as top seed in the warm-up Grampians Trophy, but pulled out as a precautionary measure after spending 14 days in hard lockdown after arriving in Australia.

She had not played a competitive match since suffering a left knee injury at the WTA Finals in October 2019, halting her rapid rise after a stunning straights victory over Serena Williams in the final at Flushing Meadows that year.

She plays Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan in the second round.