Emma Raducanu thumps Australian qualifier Storm Sanders 6-1 6-2 to move into second round in Stuttgart; 19-year-old will play Germany's Tamara Korpatsch next after picking up just her fourth victory of an injury-hit 2022 season
Wednesday 20 April 2022 18:03, UK
Emma Raducanu breezed into the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart with a straight-sets win over Australia's Storm Sanders.
The World No 12 won 6-1 6-2 in 70 minutes to set up a second-round meeting with Germany's Tamara Korpatsch.
Raducanu came into the tournament following a win and a loss in Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup defeat to Czech Republic over the weekend.
The 19-year-old overcame Tereza Martincova 7-5 7-5 in her first professional match on clay but then lost 6-1 6-1 to Marketa Vondrousova after being hampered by blisters on her foot.
Raducanu showed no effects of that problem on Wednesday as she made light work of Australian qualifier Sanders for just her fourth victory of an injury-hit 2022 campaign.
Raducanu fired four aces and her first-serve percentage was up close to 83 per cent, while she saved the only break point she faced.
Speaking on court afterwards, Raducanu said: "It was definitely not [as easy as the scoreline suggests]. I feel like there were many long games that went to deuce, so I'm very happy to have battled through.
"I think it's definitely the duration of the points [that I find difficult on clay], it's something I need to work more on. It will improve my craftiness and variety of shots."
Speaking last weekend, Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong said of Raducanu: "It does take time for a player to get used to life on the tour and become more robust, and she certainly needs to become more robust. I don't think that's any secret and she's working on it.
"The more she puts herself out there, the more she continues to test herself against the very best, she'll figure out a way that works for her."
2021 US Open champion Raducanu was knocked out in the second round of the Australian Open in January, losing in three sets to Danka Kovinic.
The next grand slam, the French Open, takes place between May 22 and June 5.
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