Emma Raducanu moved into the second round of Indian Wells with a composed performance and no significant problems, confidently closing out a 6-2, 6-3 win over the qualifier Rebeka Masarova. A much tougher battle against Dayana Yastremska, the 30th seed, awaits Raducanu on Saturday.
“Super important for me to get through that. It’s one of the trickiest tournaments conditions-wise because it varies so much. I dealt with that really well and overcame a really tough opponent who is dangerous in these conditions,” Raducanu told Sky Sports Tennis, referencing the notoriously slow, high-bouncing and windy conditions in the desert.
After failing to win a game in the opening set of her loss to Anhelina Kalinina in Doha last month, this time Raducanu was sharp from the first point against Masarova, a big serving but extremely inconsistent Spaniard ranked No 96 in the rankings. She returned well, finding good depth on her strokes while exposing Masarova’s poor movement with her early ball-striking and ability to move the ball around the court with precision and pace, particularly with her backhand. In contrast to her ultra-aggressive approach in the Middle East, Raducanu played with greater patience, choosing when to attack from inside the baseline more carefully.
At 3-0, though, Raducanu dropped serve with three double faults and offered Masarova an opportunity to recover. Still, she worked through her struggles and eventually her greater consistency and mobility made a clear difference as she battled through a tough service game at 3-2 before easing through the set.
The second took a similar turn, with Raducanu again establishing a 3-0 lead, only for her to lose focus and the set to become significantly more difficult. But with the first under her belt and Masarova’s confidence waning, Raducanu was strong in the decisive moments and she sealed the victory on her fourth match point.
“I really enjoy playing in America, some of my best results have been here, so I am very happy to be back. I really appreciate all the love I was receiving,” Raducanu said.
This is a notable week for Raducanu as she looks to rise back up the rankings following her eight-month layoff as she recovered from surgeries to her wrists and ankles in April. Last year, Raducanu defeated two top 20 seeds to reach the fourth round in Indian Wells, one of her best results since winning the US Open. She now has to defend those points or face a further drop in the rankings. Having started the week facing a potential drop from her current standing of No 250 to around 340, Raducanu’s victory moves her to around 315.
Raducanu, though, says she is currently not focused on her ranking. Between her appearances in the Middle East and California, she spent weeks training back home at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. Rather than playing a fuller schedule, she believes she needs to prioritise her development as a player at this point in her career.
From Friday, the seeded players will enter the fray in both the men’s and women’s draws after each had received a first-round bye. For Raducanu, this means an opportunity to demonstrate any progress she has made in training over the past few weeks against top opposition. Her next opponent, Yastremska, started the year by reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Caroline Wozniacki arrived at Indian Wells still trying to find momentum in her surprise return to professional tennis, her 5-6 record reflective of her struggles. She took a positive step forward, however, by reaching the second round with a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win over Zhu Lin. She will also test herself against a highly-ranked player next as she faces Donna Vekic, the 25th seed, on Friday.
Simona Halep has announced she will make her return to professional tennis at the Miami Open in 10 days following the news her four-year doping ban had been reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, allowing the former No 1 to return to competition immediately.
