Emma Radukanu aims to go beyond the second round of a Grand Slam event for the first time since winning the US Open in 2021. Dates: 16-29 January Venue: Melbourne Park Coverage: Commentary daily from 07:00 GMT on Radio 5 Sports Extra ‘Tennis Breakfast’ live from Melbourne, with selected live text commentary and match coverage on the BBC Sport website and app.
Emma Radukanu made a positive return to the court after her injury scare, advancing to the second round of the Australian Open with a straight set victory.
On day one in Melbourne, the British number one won 6-3 6-2 against Germany’s Tamara Korpach.
Radukanu, 20, rolled her ankle in Auckland 11 days ago and a beaming smile after sealing victory showed her joy at getting through her first Test.
The world number 77 now faces American seventh seed Coco Gauff in the second round.
Gauff, 18, is among the favorites to win the women’s singles at Melbourne Park and started with a 6-1 6-4 win over Czech opponent Katerina Siniakova.
American third seed Jessica Pegula, Gauff’s doubles partner and another favorite to win her first major singles title, made an even bigger statement with a 6-0 6-1 win over Romania’s Jacqueline Christian that took just 59 minutes .
In the men’s singles, Britain’s Kyle Edmund was beaten 6-4 6-0 6-2 by Italian 15th seed Yannick Sinner as he continues to rebuild his career from a serious knee injury.
Edmund, 28, reached the semifinals in 2018, but his career was derailed after he needed three surgeries and played using a protected ranking.
A comfortable start for Radukanu, but bigger tests lie ahead
As Radukanu left the court in Oakland in tears, her chances of playing the season’s first major looked in serious doubt.
Physical problems have plagued the Briton since she shot to superstardom by winning the 2021 US Open as a teenager, and after hiring Andy Murray’s former fitness trainer Jez Green, she has worked hard in the pre-season to build her body to withstand the rigors of the WTA tournament.
So it was a bitter blow when she rolled her left ankle in what she described as a freak “accident”.
Radukanu’s movement has improved in training at Melbourne Park over the past week, but the true indication of her condition will only be apparent in the match scenario.
With a strap still on her ankle, Radukanu initially looked cautious as she reached for her backhand and had to put weight on the affected leg.
A poor start littered with unforced errors saw the pair exchange five breaks of serve before Radukanu began to grow in confidence.
Korpac, 27, is ranked higher than Radukanu but does not have the same pedigree and is making her Australian Open main draw debut.
A double fault from the German – who is more comfortable on clay and looked nervous throughout – led to match point, which Radukanu took when Korpac hit a long forehand.
Radukanu was beaming with delight as she twirled around the court in celebration, but knows she faces a much tougher test when she plays Gauff on Wednesday.
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