Emma Raducanu shares important update on her future following her opening round win at the Australian Open
Emma Raducanu defeats Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) in the first round of the Australian Open.
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Emma Raducanu clinched a straight-set victory over 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round of the Australian Open. The British star, who has dealt with a string of injuries since winning the 2021 US Open, returned to action for the first time since November. Although she showed signs of rust, her precise display in the tiebreaks proved to be the turning point.
The 22-year-old Briton missed five WTA tournaments last season after suffering a sprained ligament in her foot during September. She then skipped the Auckland Open due to a back problem. But that didn’t matter in the end, as she was able to grind out a much-needed war against her Russian opponent.
She reinforced her team during the off-season, appointing Maria Sharapova’s former fitness coach, Yukata Nakamura, to help her deal with her resilience and physical conditioning. That proved to be vital in the match against Alexandrova because, despite her 15 double faults, she was relentlessly chasing every point.
She came out on top with a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) victory after two hours and 16 minutes. During her on-court interview, she was excited about her performance and said her off-court training paid off in the end.
Playing two sets was good, but equally I felt pretty fit out there. Right now I feel good as well in my body. It’s just a testament to the work I’m starting to do off the court. And I didn’t feel any restrictions in my movement.
Emma Raducanu said
Raducanu’s much-deserved win will make her confident on the court heading into the second round of the Australian Open. However, she will need to work on her serve as the tournament progresses, as Top players always capitalize on double faults.
Emma Raducanu worried about her second-round opponent’s style of play
Emma Raducanu will face American star Amanda Anisimova in the second of the Australian Open. Anisimova earned her breakthrough as a teenager, just like Raducanu did at the 2021 US Open. The 23-year-old reached the 2019 Roland Garros semifinal at the age of 17. However, after that, she suffered a dip in form that led her to take a break from tennis in 2023.
She’s now back on the court playing great tennis. She defeated Maria Lourdes Carle 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open. Ahead of Raducanu’s meeting with her friend, she revealed some secrets about her game.
She’s a big ball-striker. She hits the ball really hard. I practised with her a couple of times. She likes to dictate. So I think it’s going to be a big challenge for me, of course. She’s had some amazing results, as well. She broke out really early. I’m looking forward to going out there and testing my game and seeing where I’m at.
Emma Raducanu said via Tennis365
Anisimova has come a long way since returning to the court in Australia last year after an eight-month break. The American star was ranked World No. 442 at that time; today, she’s ranked No.35 in the WTA rankings. She will be a very tough opponent for Raducanu when they face each other on Thursday (January 16).
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Victor Okechukwu
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