Emma Raducanu Makes Winning Start To 2023 In NZ
Locker Room
January 4, 2023
Emma Raducanu has always been a fighter and she has shown that quality once more.
We first saw it when she burst upon the scene in the Battle of the Brits nearly three years ago.
Raducanu was super-hungry. And those of us who knew how to spot talent earmarked her for a glittering career.
She soon followed up at Wimbledon by reaching the second week, to the delight of the British fans.
Then of course she pulled off one of the great sporting miracles with victory at the US Open.
Now Emma is finding her feet after a year in a whirlwind of fame and adapting to the physical demands of life on tour.
She recently stated that any title in 2023 would represent success, as she looks to build once more towards her home Slam.
Emma Raducanu going deep at Wimbledon 2023 will really capture the imagination!
It will take determination – and she is already demonstrating that key asset at the start of the season.
Raducanu lost her first set 4-6 at the ASB Classic in Auckland. She was playing a rising star in the 17-year-old Czech, Linda Fruhvirtova.
And Emma looked in trouble in the second when she was broken again rather ominously.
That’s when the warrior spirit kicked in, along with her improved fitness.
She stormed the next four games to take the set – and her younger opponent never truly recovered from the shock.
Raducanu explained later how she stopped the rot and turned the tide to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
‘I was like, you need to stop this and just pick it up, like be more aggressive and swing more freely.’
Emma knows this is the best recipe for a successful year.
And we can’t wait to see Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon 2023!
She showed she can handle anything Down Under – even the rain. And that is always an advantage as she prepares for the Australian Open.
Emma added: ‘It’s always difficult playing your first match of the year, so it was always going to be a little bit of a challenge, especially with the conditions.’
One thing’s for sure. Emma Raducanu is still a superstar in the making – and she is already immensely popular worldwide.
She revealed: ‘I was loving the support. I felt like everyone was behind me and I absolutely loved it.
‘Some moments were tricky and I would hear a young kid say “come on Emma” and I was like, “come on then, let’s go!”
We expect that support to be magnified tenfold for Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon 2023!
Raducanu will face Slovak Viktoria Kuzmova next in New Zealand. Kuzmova is world 105, so Emma has a fighting chance once more.
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