Emma Raducanu made a very impressive start to her US Open campaign as she surged past Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour to reach the second round on opening Sunday.
The British No 1 sealed her first victory at Flushing Meadows since winning the tournament as an 18-year-old in 2021.
Watched on by her new Spanish coach Francisco Roig, Raducanu swept past the world No 128 with a quality performance on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“Of course I’m very, very pleased to have won that match,” said Raducanu. “The first round is always difficult, especially in a Slam.
“I’m just so happy with the way I came through that.
“I’m just very pleased with how I managed myself, managed my game through that match.”
Raducanu wants to keep building momentum, and is sensing that with her revamped coaching team.
“I’m very happy. I’ve got amazing people in my corner over there. I want to thank them,” she said.
“It makes every day of the work feel a lot more enjoyable, pleasurable and I see the progress I’m making on the practice court.
“It might not come straight away but I know over time I’m just racking up good days, building and I feel like it has to go somewhere.”
Henman: Raducanu understanding her weapons
Sky Sports’ Tim Henman:
“Raducanu has been playing the big tournaments and that’s a great sign.
“Four years ago, nobody knew anything about Raducanu so she was playing with freedom.
“Once the opposition saw how she played, they worked her out, and that’s been part of the process of her game to understand her weapons and how she can have an impact against some of the best players.”
Navratilova: Hopefully Raducanu sticks with Roig
Sky Sports’ Martina Navratilova:
“I think Roig will stay around for a while. He has the experience and ticks all the boxes.
“It’s up to Emma to buy into that, stick with it and make some changes [to her game].
“She looks healthy, fitter and relaxed. It looks like she believes she can win again.”
Laura Robson analyses Emma Raducanu’s serve leading into the US Open where she is working with new coach Francisco Roig
Bartoli: Raducanu getting close to top players
Sky Sports’ Marion Bartoli:
“The two matches she had against Aryna Sabalenka at Wimbledon and Cincinnati, she lost but was so close to winning against the number one in the world.
“It shows how close she’s getting to the top players.”
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