Emma Raducanu overcame the last-minute withdrawal of her first-round opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova to secure a gritty victory at Wimbledon. Alexandrova, the 22nd seed, withdrew due to illness, and was replaced by lucky loser Renata Zarazua from Mexico.
Raducanu, 21, faced Zarazua, ranked 98th, on Centre Court on Monday. Despite the unexpected change and early struggles, Raducanu prevailed 7-6(0), 6-3, moving into the second round.
Raducanu, who missed last year’s Wimbledon due to injury, found herself adapting quickly to Zarazua’s unorthodox style. “It’s really difficult,” Raducanu said, “When you’ve prepped to play one person, then it’s a complete different style of player.”
Despite initial nerves and a challenging first set, Raducanu managed to secure the tie-break and then gradually found her rhythm, applying pressure on Zarazua’s serve to break at 4-2 in the second set. She maintained her lead to win the match.
Reflecting on her performance, Raducanu said, “It wasn’t perfect tennis. It wasn’t clean, beautiful ball striking. It was just about managing the opponent and managing the fight and the circumstances.”
Raducanu’s win comes after a period of focusing on her fitness and form, having reached the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open and the quarter-finals at the Eastbourne International. She aims to make the most of this summer’s sporting events in Britain.
Raducanu will next face American Emma Navarro in the second round.
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