Emma Raducano announced her readiness to compete with the best players at the Australian Open after recovering from a back spasm.
The 22-year-old player withdrew from the friendly tournament scheduled for her in Auckland last week due to what she described as back pain, but she trained at Melbourne Park this week.
Raducano revealed during her pre-tournament press conference that the source of the problem was a cramp she experienced while training in London.
Raducanu's confidence has been boosted by his good performance in training this week
“I felt good,” she said. “I think the last 10 days have been a positive block of training. Getting back on the field and adapting to the conditions here has been good for me. Now I feel good and I feel ready to do my best here.
“One morning I was warming up, and I bent over to tie my bands, and I felt a cramp. That was it, really. It took a while to recover. I've had them before. They usually settle down within a few days. But this one bothered me for several weeks, and I had to “I missed a lot of training before I left, and I wasn't able to play with Auckland.”
It was another physical setback for Raducano, who played just 10 matches last year after Wimbledon, missing two months with a foot injury before recovering in time to play for Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup in November.
There she won all three of her matches and her confidence was boosted by performing well in training this week.
“I was playing sets with the top players,” she said. “I feel like I stick to myself too much in those situations and practices. I feel pretty good with my game. I'm looking forward to putting it on the match court. I think I can be a dangerous opponent for anyone really.”
Raducano She was drawn into a tough draw against Ekaterina Alexandrova, seeded 26thwho was scheduled to play at Wimbledon last summer before the 30-year-old withdrew.
“It's a tough draw, of course,” Raducano said of Tuesday's match. “Being unseeded, you can play against any top opponent. She's a very experienced player. I think I'm coming in with an underdog mentality. She's been in that situation many more times than I've been through.”
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Lauren Robson and Tim Henman discuss the impact Raducano's new fitness coach will have and how he can improve her physical flexibility
The new member of Raducanu's team this season is celebrity fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura, and the former US Open champion is hoping he can help her improve her physical flexibility and reach her potential.
She doesn't expect overnight results, saying, “I think building a body is an ongoing process. I think it's not something you necessarily have to put a schedule on.”
“Like, well, in a year I'm going to be a top athlete.” Even when you're a top athlete, there are always things you can do better. But I think I actually feel the difference when I step out. The court.
“I feel like I'm completely engaged and explosive. I think that comes down to the fact that my warm-ups aren't necessarily warm-ups but more like a training session. I feel like I'm ready to go when I'm on the court.”
“As for how long it will take, I'm not sure. I trust his work and I trust his judgment.”
Poulter: This number is in my name for a reason
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Highlights of the epic United Cup clash between Katie Poulter and Iga Swiatek
Britain's leading woman is Katie Poulter, who is seeded 22nd and looking to continue her upward momentum.
Poulter is now targeting the top 10, and showed how much of a threat she can be to top players by pushing world number two Iga Swiatek all the way in the United Cup last week.
“Iga is one of the best players in the game,” Poulter said. “I really felt like I could have crossed that line. I felt like I was completely calm in that situation as well, which is something I don't always feel when playing with top players.
“I think that kind of mentality will help me win those games. I really believe I can do it.”
“I think I have this number in my name for a reason. I want to raise it higher and higher.”
Poulter, who received local support after her engagement to Australian Alex de Minaur, opens her tournament campaign against Canadian Rebecca Marino on Tuesday.
What's new on Sky Sports Tennis Channel?
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