Victoria Azarenka fights to win three setter against Kaia Kapepi

Victoria Azarenka celebrates a point during her match with Kaia Kanepi at the Western & Southern Open .

Victoria Azarenka brought the intensity to come through victorious at the Western & Southern Open Monday night. Having very little hard court time recently, the 32-year-old went three sets against Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on Grandstand Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.  

The two veterans met for the fourth time and first since 2009. The 32-year-old held the lead for all those years, preparing to rekindle their rivalry. The Estonian logged in several matches that led her to be the finalist at the Citi Open. Though she lost a chance for the title there, the 37-year-old proved she still had what it took to compete. Despite getting cut short in Toronto, Kanepi was back for her third main draw in Ohio, ready to face off with Azarenka.

The 32-year-old chose to receive and earned the break, watching the Estonian hit some balls long of the baseline. Kanepi broke back on unforced errors, holding Azarenka to a point in the second. She backed things up with a hold of serve, followed by the former world number one. Azarenka brought the heat to her game, launching an attack for the double break and held serve for a 4-2 lead, scoring four aces.

Kanepi made sure not to let another service game slip from her hands, securing the seventh to stay a break down. By the eighth, Azarenka was still ahead and fought to close out the set. She created some errors on the returns, losing her first set point attempt. She gained another two through five breaks of deuce, taking the first on a Kanepi double fault. It was a pleasing 43-minute battle for the 32-year-old, who came through with the aces and cleaned up her mistakes when they needed to be.

Azarenka had a hair more winners than Kanepi, but it came down to the errors which the Estonian committed more of. The 37-year-old knew improvements had to come, but Azarenka was first to act. She held to open the second set, breaking the Estonian for the early lead. Kanepi broke back, but Azarenka achieved the double for a 3-1 score. Kanepi broke back after double faults from the veteran and managed to level the score at three-all.

She took her first lead of the match, notching her third break over the former world number one, who notched her fifth double fault of the set. The Estonian backed it up for the second time in the set, sitting two games up after eight. Azarenka let a lot of games slip away, and on serve, made sure that she didn’t let another go that path. Holding Kanepi back, the 32-year-old hit well with the forehand, putting herself a game down.

It was on the Estonian to hold the score in her favor, and in the tenth game, Kanepi played tremendously. Running after the shots and dictating them with strength, the 37-year-old locked down the second in 48 minutes. Azarenka had the most errors of the set, but her double faults led to the most damage done.

The Estonian took charge in the decider, breaking the veteran with two in hand. The next three games went the way of the returner until a huge hold from Azarenka gave her the lead after five. A break for the 32-year-old came on a double fault from the Estonian just as the two-hour mark hit in the match. With the two-game buffer, Azarenka hit well with the cross courts, hitting for the body of Kanepi, resulting in a hold and the 5-2 score. To extend her time on the court with the 32-year-old

Kanepi succeeded in holding serve for the first time in the set, but the pressure was on Azarenka to keep it together and bring an end to the night. She put herself in a great spot, gaining three match points after pressuring her opponent throughout the ninth. Azarenka watched a return from Kanepi go wide to take the first round in 2 hours and 13 minutes.

“If you asked me the last time we played, I couldn’t have told you, but I remembered we practiced at the Australian Open so, I was kinda going off that,” said Azarenka after her match. “She’s an incredible player and proves time and time that she can bring some of the best level against top players. The match was really tight. I was just glad that I was able to turn it around in the third set and try to find a way.”

The two-time champion sets herself up for an interesting matchup, facing the winner between Emma Raducanu and Serena Williams on Wednesday.