Emma Raducanu makes light work of Shelby Rogers on return to Grand Slam tennis at Australian Open
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ByEurosport
Updated 16/01/2024 at 11:59 GMT
Emma Raducanu returned to Grand Slam action in style, claiming a 6-3 6-2 win against Shelby Rogers to seal her progression to the second round at the Australian Open. The 2021 US Open winner last competed at Grand Slam level at last year’s event. She underwent surgery on both of her wrists and her left ankle last May but made an impressive return to action at the ASB Classic earlier in January.
Raducanu takes opening set in impressive fashion against Rogers
Emma Raducanu made an impressive return to Grand Slam tennis as she beat Shelby Rogers 6-3 6-2 in the first-round of the Australian Open.
Raducanu had met Rogers once before. The Brit overcame Rogers in a round-of-16 encounter on the way to winning the US Open in 2021, and was once again far too good for the American.
Rogers - like Raducanu - missed a large swathe of the 2023 season through injury, but it remained an impressive return from the Brit.
The 21-year-old Raducanu will face Wang Yafan in the second round.
"I’m very happy to have come through that. It being my first Slam match back, it’s extra sweet," said Raducanu after the match.
"I was a little taken aback by the support. I think it was better than any year I’ve had before here. It was amazing to see all the signs and hear the support. It was incredible, very happy to play in those sorts of circumstances again."
It was Raducanu’s first appearance at a Grand Slam since last year’s Australian Open after an injury-blighted year but the Brit made a promising return to the tour at the ASB Classic earlier this month.
The 2021 US Open winner reached the second round in New Zealand, impressing as she powered past Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the first round, before falling to eventual runner-up Elina Svitolina in a tight second-round encounter.
And ahead of her return to Melbourne Park, Jodie Burrage said that she was "creaming the ball" after a hitting session ahead of the tournament while Eurosport expert Laura Robson said that she was playing the "sort of tennis” that won her the US Open.
If that added pressure to her return, it failed to show. She produced a rock solid opening 37 minutes to seal the first set after securing the decisive break in the fourth game.
A break in the first game of the second gave Raducanu sight of the next round, and when a second break soon followed, she was in total control and sealed the match courtesy of the first of three match points.
"First rounds are always difficult," added Raducanu.
"You’re always a little bit nervous, regardless of whether you’ve played a tournament the week before, it’s slightly different conditions, different court, it’s a first round again.
"That part really changed but what I realised is that the difference between me potentially losing in the first round or doing really well is really, really slim and it’s in the way that I move and do things physically. Just not being so drastic because I know it’s not far away at all and I know the more I practise consistently, the more it will come up."
She hit 16 winners in the one-hour-and-18-minute win, and former world No.9 Jo Durie, commentating for Eurosport, was impressed with Raducanu’s return.
“[I liked] the amount of winners she was getting,” she began.
“She served well enough. She was going after it. Loads of unforced errors from Rogers let her down. I thought Emma kept it nice and compact, tight, knew what she was doing, looked confident, and it was a good match.”
Earlier, British No. 1 Katie Boulter produced a commanding performance to beat Yuan Yue 7-5 7-6(1) to make the second round for only the second time in her career.
She hit big from the baseline, was not afraid to come in when required and served with intent.
However, the match was not all plain sailing. Boulter served for the match in the 10th game of the set, passed on two match points to be broken but then steadied herself to sail through the tie-break.
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