Raducanu makes winning return to tennis in Auckland
Raducanu only competed in nine matches in 2023 due to injuries.
Emma Raducanu expressed her gratitude towards being healthy once again after scoring her first win in eight months at the Auckland Classic. She was out of action due to an injury.
The person from Britain competed for the first time after receiving surgical treatment on their wrist and ankle. They persevered through a tight final set to emerge victorious over the 134th ranked player in the world, Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
She lost her advantage of 5-2 in the third set and failed to take advantage of two opportunities to win the match at 5-3. Nevertheless, she managed to eventually triumph over her opponent, winning the match 6-3 4-6 7-5.
"It's truly amazing to be here and have the opportunity to play," spoke Raducanu, at 21 years of age.
I am thrilled to be back on the tour once again. I am eagerly looking forward to starting this season with high hopes of staying injury-free and in good health.
After such a lengthy absence, it's challenging, but I appreciate being in good health and capable of utilizing my body's movements. I'm relieved that I am not confined to a bed or wheelchair.
As the last point was scored, the victor of the 2021 US Open covered her face with her hand in a celebration filled with both happiness and relief. She had previously fallen to 301 in the rankings and required a wildcard to compete in the tournament.
In the next round, Elina Svitolina, who is seeded second in the Ukrainian tennis team, will face a more challenging test.
Raducanu Finally Triumphs In Tough Battle
After going through surgeries in May to fix her ankle and both wrists, Raducanu shared that she felt like a whole new person when she came back. She likened her experience to being reborn and starting anew.
In the first set, she performed well on her serves and didn't show any signs of being out of practice.
At the age of 26, Ruse managed to improve her game and gain control by harnessing the power of her groundstrokes, ultimately winning the second set.
In the final game, Raducanu had a strong beginning, and even though she didn’t appear to be injured during the match, she dominated by securing a 3-2 advantage and went on to win the following two games with ease.
Ruse went on the offensive and successfully regained the first break point. Furthermore, she managed to save the first two match points with her attacks. At 5-5, when Raducanu double-faulted and returned the second break, Ruse appeared to have the upper hand.
Nevertheless, a fantastic backhand down to the baseline granted the British tennis player another advantage in serving, resulting in their third chance to win the game.
The last match was quite challenging for Raducanu because she was losing with a score of 0-30. However, she managed to turn things around by serving strong and well-timed shots, allowing her to have two more opportunities to win the game. In the end, her opponent Ruse was unable to return her second serve due to being pulled out wide, resulting in a point for Raducanu.
Raducanu's encounter with Svitolina will serve as an additional rehearsal for the fast-approaching Australian Open that commences on the 14th of January.
At present, she needs to pass the qualification process to be able to participate in the main event. However, in case there are further cancellations for the Melbourne Grand Slam, the British player will have an advantage and be granted automatic entry as the top alternative.
Raducanu, who has a provisional ranking of 103, might potentially receive one out of the four remaining exceptional entries for the women's singles tournament.
In Auckland, Coco Gauff, who is the top seed and also the US Open champion, has marked her first victory of the year by defeating another American player named Claire Liu with a score of 6-4 6-2. In addition, Svitolina has emerged victorious against Caroline Wozniacki, having achieved scores of 6-4 6-3. This comes as Wozniacki is also making a comeback in her career.
