Emma Raducanu wins on injury return at Australian Open
British tennis star Emma Raducanu made an excellent return to court after her injury scare, moving into the second round of the Australian Open with a straight-set win.
On the opening day, Raducanu won 6-3 6-2 against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.
Raducanu, 20, rolled her ankle in Auckland 11 days ago, leaving the court in tears. But her return ended in smiles as she overcome her first test.
She now faces American seventh seed Coco Gauff in round two.
Gauff, 18, is among the favourites to win the women’s singles at Melbourne Park.
Emma Raducanu’s big test ahead
The young Briton has been hit with injuries since her incredible rise to stardom – winning the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier.
It was a bitter blow when she rolled her ankle, but her movement improved as the week went on.
“Everything I’ve done has been quite controlled the last week. So I had to test it out in a real match, with the unpredictability and just getting used to it in the beginning. It felt good,” she said.
“You know it’s there and if anything, it kind of alleviates any pressure.
“That’s because you’re, like, I’ve done so well to get myself onto the court, and my team has done so well. It’s a great achievement for all of us [to get on court].
Her ankle remains strapped and she looked a little cautious when she had to put weight on the affected foot.
She started fairly poorly, with plenty of unforced errors, leading to the pair exchanging five breaks of serve before Raducanu began to grow in confidence.
German opponent Korpatsch is more comfortable on clay and looked nervous throughout.
A great return for the tennis superstar, but Raducanu knows a much tougher test lies ahead when she plays Gauff on Wednesday.
“I might as well just enjoy all the hard work we’ve done to get myself here,” said Raducanu.
“If anything, it’s not mental, it’s more physical and just playing, seeing how it is.”
