"An ace in Raducanu's opening service game was a sign of things to come. The world No 24 followed up with an immediate break against Zakharova before taking a 3-0 lead. Zakharova got on the board in the next service game but Raducanu sent down another ace before she broke again to earn approval from the onlooking Petchey."
"With her ball-striking too strong for Zakharova to handle, she continued to exert her dominance in the first-round contest. A slight wobble occurred during the eighth game with Raducanu forced to rally from 15-40 down, but she fought back admirably. Even though Zakharova broke when Raducanu had been set to serve for the match, the 23-year-old regrouped and secured victory."
Emma Raducanu secured a commanding 6-1, 6-3 victory over qualifier Anastasia Zakharova at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, advancing to the last 32. Raducanu arrived at the WTA 1000 tournament seeking to regain form following a three-match losing streak and her January coaching split from Francisco Roig. With Mark Petchey returning to her corner on an ad-hoc basis, Raducanu dominated the match through strong ball-striking and aggressive serving. She broke Zakharova immediately and established a 3-0 lead in the first set, which concluded in 32 minutes. Despite a minor wobble in the second set where she rallied from 15-40 down, Raducanu maintained control and secured victory, making a strong tournament start.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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