Emma Raducanu aims to go beyond the second round at a Grand Slam event for the first time since winning the 2021 US Open. Dates: January 16-29 Venue: Melbourne Park Coverage: Commentary every day from 07:00 GMT on Radio 5 Sports Extra ‘Tennis Breakfast’ live from Melbourne, with selected live text commentary and match reports on the BBC Sport website and app.
Emma Raducanu made a positive return to the court after her injury, advancing to the second round of the Australian Open with a win in sets.
On the opening day in Melbourne, the British number one won 6-3, 6-2 over German Tamara Korpatsch.
Raducanu, 20, rolled his ankle in Auckland 11 days ago and a beaming smile after sealing victory showed his joy at getting through his first test.
British men’s number one Cameron Norrie also advanced with a seven-set win.
11th seed Norrie progressed from the first round for only the second time in five attempts after a 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 6-3 success over French teenage wild card Luca van Asche.
The 27-year-old left-hander had a short turnaround after playing in the Auckland final on Saturday, when he lost to French veteran Richard Gasquet.
“I was pretty nervous but I managed to relax in the second set there and close out a tough match. It’s not my best but I’ll keep at it,” said Norrie, who had the biggest win of his career in beat Rafael Nadal. in the United Cup earlier this month.
“I enjoyed the match after that difficult first set.”
Norrie and Raducanu were the only two British players to win at Melbourne Park, with Raducanu now set to face American seventh seed Coco Gauff in the second round.
Rising star Jack Draper was beaten by Spanish great Rafael Nadal, while Kyle Edmund lost 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 to Italian 15th seed Jannik Sinner.
Edmund, 28, reached the semi-finals in 2018 but is trying to rebuild his career after a knee injury that required three operations before returning to the tour last year.
Playing at a protected ranking, it was another tough draw at a Grand Slam for Edmund after he faced eventual runner-up Casper Ruud at last year’s US Open.
Harriet Dart, Britain’s only other representative in the women’s singles, lost 7-5 6-1 to Swiss 32nd seed Jil Teichmann.
Gauff, 18, is among the favorites to win the women’s singles at Melbourne Park and opened with a 6-1 6-4 win over Czech rival Katerina Siniakova.
American third seed Jessica Pegula, Gauff’s doubles partner and another favorite to win her first major singles title, made an even bigger statement with a 6-0, 6- 1 over the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian which took only 59 minutes.
Comfortable start for Raducanu, but bigger tests lie ahead
When Raducanu left the court in Auckland in tears, his chances of playing in the first major of the season looked serious.
Physical problems have plagued the Briton since she was catapulted to superstardom by winning the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier and, after hiring Andy Murray’s former fitness coach Jez Green, she worked hard during the pre-season to build his body to withstand the rigors of the WTA Tour.
So it was a bitter blow when he rolled his left ankle in what he described as a “freak accident”.
Raducanu’s movement improved in training at Melbourne Park as the past week went on, but the real indication of his condition would only be apparent in a match scenario.
“Everything I’ve done has been pretty controlled the last week,” he said.
“So I got to try it in a real game, with the unpredictability and just getting used to it at first. It felt good.
“You know it’s there, and if anything, it relieves any pressure.
“That’s because you’re, like, I did really well to get on the court, and my team did really well. It’s a big accomplishment for all of us.”
With ankle straps, Raducanu initially looked cautious as he lay on the backhand side and had to put weight on the affected foot.
A poor start full of unforced errors saw the pair exchange five breaks of serve before Raducanu began to grow in confidence.
Korpatsch, 27, is ranked higher than Raducanu but does not have the same pedigree and was making his Australian Open main draw debut.
A double fault from the German – who is more comfortable on clay and looked nervous throughout – led to a match point which Raducanu took when Korpatsch hit a forehand long.
Raducanu turned on the court to celebrate, but he knows he faces a much tougher test when he takes on Gauff on Wednesday.
“I might as well enjoy all the hard work we’ve done to get here,” Raducanu said.
“Anyway, it’s not mental, it’s more physical and just playing, seeing how he is.”