(Tennis news) British tennis star Emma Raducanu defeated Linda Fruhvirtova 4-6 6-4 6-2 in the opening match at the ASB Classic in Auckland. The former US Open champion came back from a set and a break down to defeat Fruhvirotva, who is currently ranked 79th, one place lower than Raducanu. The 20 year old changed the momentum of the match by winning four games on the trot and has made an impressive comeback after recovering from a wrist injury she sustained in October. She will now face world number 105 Viktoria Kuzmova.
“I was like, you need to stop this and just pick it up, like be more aggressive and swing more freely. It’s always difficult playing your first match of the year, so it was always going to be a little bit of a challenge, especially with the conditions. I was loving the support. I felt like everyone was behind me and I absolutely loved it. Some moments it was tricky in the score and I would hear a young kid say ‘Come on Emma’ and I was like, ‘come on, let’s go’.”
Emma Raducanu
In other results, Top-seeded American Coco Gauff defeated Germany’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-1. In a shock result, Chinese qualifier Zheng Qinwen overcame former world number two Anett Kontaveit 6-1 4-6 7-6 (9-7). She will now take on former world number one and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus by defeating Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (7-5). Jelena Ostapenko also progressed into the second round after defeating Karolina Pliskova 6-1 6-3.
Also read: Former US Open winner Emma Raducanu vows to be “fearless” in 2023 season
