Emma Raducanu said she was inspired by England’s narrow Euro 2024 victory by “winning badly” in her opening match at Wimbledon.
The 21-year-old was lucky when her opponent, 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, withdrew on Monday morning due to illness.
Her replacement, Mexican Renata Zarazua, looked a more welcome challenge on paper, but the world number 98 is a tricky player and Raducanu survived some difficult moments with a 7-6 (0) 6-3 victory on court central.
In his court interview, Raducanu regarding England’s narrow victory over Slovakia in Germany, saying: “Like watching football last night and winning badly – everything counts.”
She added: “Last night I had a feeling they were still going to turn things around.
“The people I was watching it with were like, ‘I don’t know.’ It was approaching 93 minutes. [I said], ‘I have a feeling, I have a feeling’. So Jude [Bellingham] achieve that insane goal.
“When I’m watching it, I hear the comments, I can almost imagine it. It’s just the way the story changes depending on how the outcome goes.
“I certainly sympathize with the players who are being told they need to play much better, they need to play perfectly. I think, at the end of the day, it’s about pushing the limits.
“Today I used that as motivation. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as you get through the early rounds, you’ll have another chance to play better.
“For the circumstances to line up, as long as you’re still in the tournament, you’re going to keep giving yourself that chance.”
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Raducanu and Zarazua in action. Photos: PA
Drop shots and cut forehands
Zarazua, who had never won a grass court match and was making his headliner Wimbledon debut, he sometimes surprised Raducanu with drop shots and cut forehands.
The British lost the break advantage in the first set and the match could have gone either way until the tie-break, when Raducanu took the initiative.
There was also a tense start to the second set, with Raducanu serving two break points in the third game, but she kept her cool and went on to claim Great Britain’s first victory of the tournament.
She was returning to Center Court two years after her last appearance following wrist and ankle surgeries.
Raducanu will face the experienced Belgian Elise Mertens in the next round.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
