Emma Raducanu returned to the court from injury to reach the second round of the Australian Open with a straight set win.
On the opening day in Melbourne, the British number one won 6-3 6-2 against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.
In the second round, the 77th racket of the world will now face the American Coco Gauff.
Gauff, 18, is one of the favorites to win the women’s singles at Melbourne Park and opened with a 6-1 6-4 win over Czech Kateryna Siniakova.
A comfortable start for Radukan, but even bigger challenges lie ahead
When Radukanu left the Auckland court in tears, her chances of playing the first major of the season were in serious doubt.
Physical problems have plagued the Briton since becoming a superstar by winning the 2021 US Open as a junior qualifier and, employing Andy Murray’s former fitness coach Jez Green, she has worked hard in the pre-season to build her body to withstand the rigors of the WTA Tour.
So it was a bitter blow when she sprained her left ankle in what she described as a “freak accident”.
Radukan’s movements have improved in training at Melbourne Park over the past week, but it wasn’t until the match that the real signs of her condition became apparent.
“Everything I did last week was pretty controlled,” she said.
“So I got to experience it in a real match, with the unpredictability and getting used to it in the beginning. It was good.
