Emma Raducanu has made a strong start to her first Australian Open campaign, surviving an impressive fight-back from Sloane Stephens to reach the second round.
The 19-year-old US Open champion began superbly in Melbourne, racing into a one-set lead after taking the opening exchanges 6-0 for the concession of just four points in 17 scintillating minutes.
While Stephens, herself a former winner on the hard courts in New York, hit back and forced a decider, Raducanu was able to overcome expected “adversity” and take the third and final set 6-1.
Victory sets up a meeting with Danka Kovinic for the British teenager. Kovinic, ranked just inside the world’s top 100, came through her own three-set encounter with qualifier Jang Su-jeong.
The Montenegrin and Raducanu have never previously met, and Kovinic has never previously been beyond the second round at any of the four major tennis championships.
When is Emma Raducanu’s next match?
The match is set to take place on Thursday 20 January and is scheduled to be played at around 8am GMT. It is listed as the first match of the night session on Margaret Court Arena.
Should Raducanu win, she could take on childhood hero and 14th seed Simona Halep in the third round.
Both two-time Grand Slam champion Halep and Raducanu’s father are from Romania, and the British youngster has spoken previously of attempting to model her game on the former world No. 1.
Halep’s second-round opponent is Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, with the pair also set to play on Thursday in Melbourne.
