Emma Raducanu won her first match of 2023 on the WTA Tour with a victory over Linda Fruhvirtova in the first round of the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Raducanu dropped her first set to the 17-year-old from the Czech Republic but bounced back to win the second and third despite a lengthy suspension due to rain.
The 78th-ranked Brit finished on top 4-6 6-4 6-2 against the relatively evenly matched Fruhvirtova, who is only one rank behind.
“Linda is such a great young player, and it was a different dynamic for me because normally I was the younger one and going into this match she is,” Raducanu said. “She’s going to be up there for sure and she already is, so massive props to her.”
The first and shorter rain delay came at 4-4 in the first set. Fruhvirtova took an early 2-0 lead in the second set but Raducanu broke back for 2-2 and went on to take the set in 46 minutes.
The second rain break came with Raducanu leading 1-0 in the third set. She won the next four games and eventually the match with a marked lift in aggression.
While her serve was strong, her return of serve was decisive and she won 65 per cent of points of Fruhvirtova’s second serve.
Raducanu will face 24-year-old Viktoria Kuzmova from the Slovak Republic in the round of 16 as she makes her first competitive appearance since October after overcoming a wrist injury.
The victory over Fruhvirtova came after the British No 1 vowed to take a more “fearless” approach to her game this year.
“For 2023 my goal is to stay healthy for longer,” Raducanu told wtatennis.com. “I’m looking forward to working hard because I’ve got a better idea of what to expect now, so I’ll be less like a deer in the headlights.
“For a results goal I’d say it’s to win a title, and three I’d say is to be playing fearless tennis. Just not thinking about consequences, just going for it.”
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