Emma Raducanu made a successful debut at the Australian Open, cruising to a win over Sloane Stephens. The British sensation defeated the former US champion 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 at the Margaret Court Arena. Despite a brief dip in form during the second set, the young star bounced back to beat her American opponent, marking a strong return to form after a disappointing finish to the previous year.
British ace Emma Raducanu cruised past Sloane Stephens in her first-round match at the Australian Open debut. Emma Raducanu sealed a 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 victory over the former US champion at the Margaret Court Arena. The teenager came back strong from a second set blip to surpass her American opponent. Raducanu registered a solid win after facing a disappointing ending to the 2021 season.
Roughly four months after her legendary run at the US Open, the top-ranked British player dominated the first set before the experienced Stephens managed to fight back in the second. Nevertheless, Raducanu quickly recovered her composure, dominating the deciding set to earn a vital confidence boost. She now hopes to keep this streak alive and challenge for the Women's singles title.
The 19-year-old Raducanu started her Melbourne campaign with an incredible burst of energy, finishing the first set in a lightning-fast 17 minutes. She was nearly untouchable on serve, conceding only four points while claiming 24. It was obvious that Raducanu was determined to avoid an early exit, leaving Stephens struggling to respond to her aggressive and powerful baseline play.
As the 17th seed, this is Raducanu's fifth tournament since her US Open victory, a stretch where she managed only two wins across four outings, including three first-round losses. Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, pushed past her own recent struggles to mount a fierce comeback in the second set. She played exceptional tennis, winning four consecutive games from a 2-2 deadlock to force a third set.
Stephens has a reputation for stepping up her game during Major tournaments, having previously knocked out top names like Petra Kvitova, Coco Gauff, Karolina Pliskova, and Madison Keys in last year's Slams. However, Raducanu displayed impressive resilience, shutting down Stephens' momentum with a combination of skill and power. She quickly seized control of the final set, jumping to a 4-0 lead. While Stephens fought hard to stop the bleeding with some strong returns, Raducanu ultimately proved too strong, winning the battle after an hour and 45 minutes of play. Her next challenge will be against Montenegro's Danka Kovinic for a place in the third round.
Stephens never made it easy and stopped the rot with good returns. Finally, Raducanu outclassed Stephens after battling for an hour and 45 minutes. Raducanu will be up against Danka Kovinic of Montenegro to find a spot in the third round.
In contrast to Raducanu's success, fellow 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez suffered a first-round defeat. The Canadian star was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Australian wildcard Maddison Inglis. The home crowd erupted in celebration as Inglis secured a commanding victory on her home soil.