US Open winner Emma Raducanu kickstarts her Australian Open campaign with a first-round win against another US Open champion Sloane Stephens. The British youngster started the Australian Open by serving up a bagel in the first set, as he ultimately reigned supreme over Stephens 6-0, 2-6, 6-1.
It was Raducanu’s first appearance at the Melbourne Park and now will take on Danka Kovinic in the second round of the Grand Slam Down Under.
After winning her first-round clash, Raducanu stated that her first win in the Australian Open was a great step forward for the youngster. She revealed that he was happy her execution of skills especially after her lack of match practice heading into the event.
The British youngster has had a tough few months starting with testing positive for COVID-19 late in 2021. She then started her preparation from Sydney where he lost the first round match against Elena Rybakina.
“I think it’s a great step forward for me to come out here and win my first match here in Australia against, Sloane who is a tough opponent to have first round,” Raducanu said. “I haven’t had many matches, so I’m very happy that I was able to put that level out there so early on. I definitely wanted to go out there and start playing aggressively and start putting my game on the court.”
It was clear in her eyes that winning a game at the Australian Open meant a lot to her. She revealed how she arrived in Melbourne Park as a Junior player and exited in the first round. But Raducanu is now all set to build on this win.
“It meant a lot, for sure. It’s my first win in Australia in a Grand Slam. I came here when I played the juniors and I lost the first round, so to come out here and get my first win, I was very, very happy. I’m just looking forward to building on this, going forward, trying to recover as best as I can for my next match,” she added.
Despite Raducanu serving a bagel in the first set, it was not an easy game for the Briton. Stephens came back in the second set and made things a lot interesting for the youngster. However, the 2020 US open champion was made to work for every point but she held her own and defeated the American.
Raducanu is all set to lock horns against Danka Kovinic in the second round. The Montenegrin started the Australian on a positive note by winning against South Korea’s Jang Se-Jeong in the first round.
