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Emma Raducanu beats Sloane Stephens in three sets in Australian Open first round
13:12, 18 January 2022
updated: 18:04, 18 January 2022
Emma Raducanu reached the second round of the Australian Open on Tuesday with victory over Sloane Stephens in three sets.
The Orpington teenager, who shot to fame last year by winning the US Open, came through 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 against Stephens - another previous winner in New York in 2017 - in her first match at the tournament.
Number 17 seed Raducanu looked to be on course for a whirlwind victory late in the evening in Melbourne after winning the first set in just 17 minutes.
But Stephens hit back in the second set before Raducanu composed herself to progress.
"I think both me and Sloane put everything out there and gave it all we had," said Raducanu.
"It was a high quality match with long rallies and I'm happy to come through against a great champion like her.
"It was a tough match for a first round. I knew there were going to be some long rallies, her athleticism is really up there and I had to work extra hard for my points. I'm really happy to get through.
"I thought I played some good tennis with little unforced errors (in the first set). I'm happy to regroup in the third set but I don't think the score really reflected the level out there. I was just trying to focus on landing every single ball between the lines."
Raducanu will now be a strong favourite to progress against Montenegro's Danka Kovinic in round two on Thursday.
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