Victoria Azarenka returned to the court for a WTA match for the first time since May 24, 2016 on Tuesday, and as happy as she looked to be back, she appeared even more relieved when it was over—on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old, who gave birth to her first child, Leo, on Dec. 19, made her season debut in Mallorca against 74th-ranked Risa Ozaki on Tuesday. She looked fit and healthy at the start, sprinting to a lead after promptly taking the first set, 6-3, in 45 minutes. The 23-year-old fought back in the second, though, leveling the match with a 6-4 advantage. It didn’t come easy for the young Japanese player, as Azarenka saved two set points to hold for 4-5. That was oddly fitting, as it would foreshadow what was to come.
In the third set, the affair turned dramatic. The opponents traded holds to start before Ozaki broke for a 2-1 lead. She consolidated it for 3-1 and then broke again to build a comfortable 4-1 cushion. Azarenka, always the fighter, was not deterred. She earned a break of her own, cutting it to 2-4, and then held to cut the deficit to a game. They proceeded to exchange holds and, with Ozaki serving for the match, play was suspended due to darkness.