Emma Raducanu overcomes rocky patch to reach Indian Wells third round

It was at all times clear within the aftermath of Emma Raducanu’s US Open victory that it could take time for her to regulate to the rigours of professional tennis, a course of that has outlined the beginning of her season. After fighting a collection of various illnesses, Raducanu arrived in Indian Wells nonetheless recovering from a left leg damage sustained in Guadalajara final month. Days earlier than the BNP Paribas Open started, she was not sure of her participation.

However when Raducanu did step out on to the courtroom on Friday, she was prepared. The 19-year-old began by producing one in every of her greatest units of tennis since New York and within the turbulent three-set match that adopted, she toiled by way of to defeat Caroline Garcia 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 and attain the third spherical in Indian Wells.

A mirrored image of the hype that also surrounds Raducanu got here even earlier than she performed a single level. Regardless of Iga Swiatek, the third seed, and the previous champion Simona Halep each competing on Friday, Raducanu was assigned the highest Stadium 1 courtroom forward of them.

She instantly made essentially the most of her excessive billing, breaking Garcia’s serve within the opening sport. Raducanu moved effectively from the start, soaked up Garcia’s higher weight of shot and counterpunched effectively, continuously stepping contained in the baseline to flip factors from defence to assault.

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Dart causes upset towards Svitolina

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Harriet Dart rallied from a set down at Indian Wells to defeat the previous world No 3 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and progress to the third spherical for the primary time in her profession. The Twelfth-seeded Ukrainian broke the Briton 4 occasions within the opening set on the BNP Paribas Open earlier than Dart steadied herself within the second.

The British No 3, ranked 122nd, managed to interrupt Svitolina 3 times consecutively to guide 5-3 then smashed an important ace to say the set. Dart rushed out to a 3-0 lead within the decider however Svitolina scraped again some factors earlier than the match - which took two hours and 17 minutes - completed 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 within the qualifier's favour.

Kaia Kanepi will face Dart subsequent after the Estonian wanted simply 81 minutes to upset twenty second seed Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-3. Liam Broady, in the meantime, didn't progress previous the primary spherical regardless of taking a set off Miomir Kecmanovic. PA Media

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As Garcia, a former world No 4 who has cascaded down the rankings in recent times, started to impose herself constantly, Raducanu struggled to maintain up. Her first and second serve speeds each dropped considerably and her passivity allowed Garcia to grab the initiative. Nonetheless Raducanu maintained her composure and, at a pivotal second at the start of the third set, moved again contained in the baseline and arrested Garcia’s momentum with an awesome maintain of serve earlier than breezing to victory.

“As quickly as I let up and my racquet pace dropped, my ball pace dropped, she climbed on prime of it immediately. I knew that I needed to make some changes within the third set. I’m actually blissful that I used to be capable of work that out within the match and are available by way of a tricky one,” Raducanu mentioned.

The victory marks Raducanu’s first WTA 1000 win and he or she has scuppered a run of 5 losses in six matches. Raducanu, who obtained a primary spherical bye, will face the unseeded Petra Martic within the third spherical.

Andy Murray’s victory was his first since his current pledge for his 2022 prize cash for use to profit Ukrainian youngsters affected by the Russian invasion. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Photographs

Earlier within the day, Andy Murray pulled off a milestone victory within the first spherical of the BNP Paribas Open, clinching his 700th profession ATP major draw win in a usually gritty match full of resilience in absence of his prime stage. After shedding the primary set closely and later trailing 3-1 within the ultimate set, Murray recovered to defeat Taro Daniel of Japan 1-6, 6-2, 6-4. Murray will subsequent face the thirty first seed, Alexander Bublik of Kazhakstan.

Solely 17 different males’s gamers within the historical past of the game have achieved 700 wins and solely Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have achieved it amongst energetic gamers. “It means quite a bit,” Murray instructed Amazon Prime. “It was a goal I set myself in direction of the tip of final 12 months and with every thing that has gone on the previous couple of years it has not been straightforward to get there. Nice achievement, not numerous guys have been ready to try this. I'm actually blissful about it.”