Raducanu subdues Shelby Rogers happy to be play pain-free
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu said it was “amazing to be playing pain-free” after an impressive 6-3, 6-2 win over American Shelby Rogers.
The British player, 21, stunned the tennis world when she triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2021 but her record since then is patchy and she has only just returned from a injury-enforced eight-month break.
“I had pain for so long, “ said Raducanu, who faces China’s unseeded Wang Yafan in the second round. “I was playing since before the US swing in 2022 all the way before surgery.”
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Zverev took to Margaret Court Arena in the evening against fellow German Dominik Koepfer under the shadow of a looming court case.
The world No 6 will go on trial at the end of May for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend in 2020.
Meanwhile Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek powered into the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday as Germany’s Alexander Zverev put aside legal worries at home to progress.
World No 2 Alcaraz was electric under the lights on Rod Laver Arena, demolishing French veteran Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-2 in his first competitive match of the year.
The Spaniard, gunning to unseat 10-time champion Novak Djokovic from the world No 1 spot, was tested in a tight first set but then moved through the gears, showcasing his full range of shot-making.
Alcaraz, who will next face Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, said it was good to be back in Melbourne, where he has not been beyond the third round in his previous two visits.
He missed last year’s tournament through injury.
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“In the first set I struggled a little with his game,” he said. “He was playing great but I played better and better and at the end I reached quite a good level.”
The 20-year-old, clad in a sleeveless yellow T-shirt, admitted he sometimes tries to play “impossible shots”, including volleys and dropshots, to please his fans.