Emma Raducanu, the 20-year-old Briton, battled past Danka Kovinic at the Indian Wells WTA 1000 tournament on Thursday, seeking revenge after the Montenegrin beat her at the 2022 Australian Open.
Raducanu rallied from a break down in both sets to win the match 6-2 6-3. Kovinic managed to calm herself during the break and went 2-0 up with a break of her own as the pair contested the second set. However, Raducanu repeated her steely comeback from the first set, and another three break points gave her a 6-3 win in the set and the match.
Raducanu’s performance and injuries
Raducanu’s wrist injury forced her to shut down her season early last year and has reportedly been flaring up again. After withdrawing from a pre-tournament exhibition event, it appeared she might not compete at all. The injury caused her to end her involvement in last year’s competitions prematurely, including missing the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She also withdrew from the Eisenhower Cup on Tuesday, where she had been scheduled to compete in mixed doubles with Cameron Norrie.
Raducanu’s journey to the Indian Wells tournament
Tonsillitis prevented her from playing in the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, last week, and fitness concerns mean she has played only four matches this season. Therefore, no one was quite sure what to expect from her coming into the Indian Wells tournament in the Southern California desert, including whether she would take the court.
But she walked on to the sun-soaked showpiece court to a loud ovation, and after going 2-0 down, began to find the range with her forehand and sealed the 33-minute first set with a second service ace. The story repeated in the second set, where she again fell behind 2-0 before recovering to advance to the second round, where she will face Poland’s Magda Linette.
Raducanu’s response and preparation for the next match
“I’m happy I stuck in,” Raducanu said in an on-court interview. “Being a break down is difficult, of course, but I think mentally, I just took it one point at a time.” She said she relished playing on what she called one of her favorite courts. “I’m just so happy to have got through and hopefully play another match in front of you guys,” she said.
Looking ahead, Magda Linette will be Raducanu’s opponent in the second round, and the Brit is expected to face a tough test. “She’s had a great season so far,” Raducanu said. “Her results prove that, and I know that from the match we played in Seoul, that it was quite physical. I’m looking forward to the match and I’m just so happy to be playing another round here in Indian Wells.”
