Emma Raducanu gets over scrappy start to ease into Australian Open second round
“Everything I’ve done has been quite controlled the last week. So to test [the ankle] out in a real match and with the unpredictability and stuff, just getting used to it in the beginning… but, yeah, it felt good,” said Raducanu.
Despite breaking serve immediately and attacking her forehand well, in the opening exchanges Raducanu timidly navigated her taped left ankle. On two strokes that require significant use of her left ankle – her backhand and serve – she looked hesitant when pushing off the ground to generate power through her legs.
Korpatsch, a 25 year-old German who has spent most of her career on the ITF circuit, was too underpowered to take advantage of Raducanu’s scrappy start. As the Briton’s movement gradually improved, she commanded the baseline, smothered Korpatsch’s substandard serve and also showed great hands, exploiting her opponent’s deep court positioning with numerous well-executed drop shots.
By the second set, Raducanu had established herself on top of the baseline where she overwhelmed Korpatsch with her superior weaponry, emphatically closing off a solid win. Afterwards, Raducanu said the effort it took from her team just to make it to the first round meant that she entered the court feeling far more relaxed.
“If anything, it kind of alleviates any pressure. I’ve done so well to get myself onto the court, and my team has done so well,” she said. “Will [Herbert, Raducanu’s physio] has been working on it every single day. For him it’s just a great achievement for all of us. Then for me to be out there, it’s like I might as well just enjoy all the hard work we’ve done to get myself here.
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