Emma Raducanu: British upsets 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova to win Australian Open opener | Tennis news
Emma Raducanu overcame serve problems to upset 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and reach the second round of the Australian Open.
The 22-year-old made 15 double faults but managed to end a lopsided match to claim her best win at Melbourne Park, seeing off 31st-ranked Russian Alexandrova 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2).
Raducanu’s win took five British players through to the second round, equaling the record here with more opportunities to come.
Raducanu, who missed the Asian swing with sprained ligaments in her foot and then the warm-up in Auckland with a back problem, said: “My aim this year is not to go too high or too low, to keep pretty even. Even after today it’s great to win in a tour match for a few months, I think I just want to look at it, celebrate it for what it is and just move on.”
Raducanu’s enduring popularity was evidenced by the long queues outside Court 3 when the match kicked off under cloudless skies in Melbourne.
Work on the serve of the former US Open champion is still ongoing and in the first two service games she made five aces and four double faults.
From there, the balance skewed to the negative side and before the tie-break she was winning less than 10 percent of the points on her second serve, while her number of double faults was nine, including three in one game at 4-4.
Alexandrova, a big-ball hitter with a relentlessly negative demeanor, broke serve four times in a row, but holding her own serve proved just as challenging, with Raducanu’s return game in fine form.
Raducanu came back from 4-2 to 4-4 in the tie-break, but won only her third point of the set on second serve at a crucial moment thanks to a wayward return. A forehand return in the corner secured the set.
Raducanu seemed to settle down on serve and another break from her opponent gave the British No. 2 an immediate lead in the second set.
She survived three more double faults at 3-2, turning to coach Nick Cavaday for advice, and was broken at 4-3, but rallied again and held serve for the match.
At 30-0, she was two points away, but she failed to create a match point and another double fault put Alexandrova back on serve.
Raducanu then had to save a set point to take out the tie-break, but has been almost flawless since then, with a final double fault on her first match point the only blemish.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what I changed in my service today. I think it had its own opinion. I’ll definitely think about it, look at it and get back to you,” she told reporters.
“I was hitting a lot of good first serves in the first set. I was hitting a couple of aces. I was hitting a double fault at the same time. I pretty much took it, okay, at least I will.
“As the balls got harder, it was a lot harder. As more came, it wasn’t easy to refocus, but I knew that even if I fell, I had great results.”
“It was good that today I was able to rely on other parts of my game that I know are quite strong,” added Raducanu, who also served nine aces.
“I’m just proud that I didn’t let it affect me too much and let the game get away from me.”
Raducanu next faces another teenage prodigy Amanda Anisimovawho took time off from the game due to her mental health after reaching the semifinals of the 2019 French Open.
“I know she’s a big hitter,” Raducanu said. “I’ve practiced with her a few times. She likes to dictate. So I think it’s going to be a big challenge for me.”
Norrie cannot contribute to Britain’s success in Melbourne
Cameron Norrie failed to add to the British wins, suffering a first-round defeat against former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini.
It was a tough draw for the British No.2, with Berrettini a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park three years ago returning to the rankings after injury problems.
The Italian hit 32 aces and recovered from a set down to win 6-7 (7-4) 6-4 6-1 6-3.
Norrie saved a set point at 5-6 in the opener before coming back well in the tie-break, winning six points in a row from 4-1 down.
But from there the pressure on his serve told, Berrettini took five of 13 break points in the final three sets, while Norrie failed to convert any of his five opportunities in the match.
Reaching the fourth round was the highlight of a difficult 2024 season for Norrie, who will now fall out of the top 60.
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