Five-time Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu will face Iga Swiatek after battling further injuries to beat Amanda Anisimova in the second round of the Australian Open.
The former US Open champion's preparations for the tournament were disrupted by a back spasm, and she received treatment for what appeared to be a lower back problem during the second set.
There were five more double faults – a big improvement on the 15 in her first-round win over Ekaterina Alexandrova – but that did not stop her reaching the last 32 for the first time here thanks to a 6-3, 7-5 win over the great. -He beat American Anisimova.
Now you'll get a fourth crack at world No. 2 Swiatek, who you have yet to win a set against.
“It's one of the Grand Slams that I love playing in, so getting through the second round means a lot to me,” Raducano said.
“It's very difficult when you play against a friend, it adds another dimension to the match and not necessarily a fun dimension. I think I did well. I knew I had to not go in the second set.”
She continued: “It was difficult today, it was a bit windy, there was sun on one side. Both teams had some moments on our serve. The way I was able to regroup at the end of the first half, I was very proud of that.”
“It's difficult. I haven't played a game for a long time. The way I play is very athletic, and I use my body a lot.
“I was feeling it a little bit but I'm glad I have a little time to recover before my next match. I like it. It's another opportunity to test my game. I think she (Swiatek) has clearly achieved that. A lot already and I think I have nothing to lose, I will do my best.” And I can't wait to play in front of you guys.
Tape story
Raducano and Anisimova are friends off the court, and there are similarities in their tennis stories, with the American having reached the fourth round for the first time here and the quarterfinals of the French Open as a 17-year-old.
Anisimova has had some big Grand Slam wins, especially in Melbourne, and is one of the purest natural strikers on the tour.
This was evident when the American player took a 3-1 lead, with Raducano's serve holding up better, but Anisimova came back and succeeded in taking advantage of anything.
Anisimova had two opportunities to take a 4-1 lead, but she was unable to capitalize on either of them, and from here Raducano held on well and survived further pressure to hold her serve for the first time and manipulate her rhythm intelligently.
Five straight matches gave her the first set but there were some wins from Raducanu during the service matches and she looks to new fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura.
In the opening match of the second group, she served three double faults, all from the left side, and then asked referee Mohammed Al-Hayani to call the coach.
By the time she was given a medical break, she was 3-0 down, but although Raducano continued to grimace, the break seemed to affect Anisimova further, and a series of errors from the 23-year-old allowed the Briton to slip. To withdraw the level.
Raducano received more treatment after losing her serve again to fall behind 4-3, but she still believes in her ability to win the match, and after another break of serve, she received two huge fists, putting her one game away from victory.
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Swiatek leads Raducanu 3-0 in head-to-head at WTA level with two wins on clay and one on hard courts. Watch the highlights of their last meeting in Stuttgart in 2024…
Anisimova withstood the pressure at the time, but two games later, a forehand winner to finish off a brilliant back-and-forth created the first match point, and Raducano took advantage, dropping her racket on the court and placing her hands on her head. In celebration.
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