Two days after defeating Shelby Rogers in straight sets to win her first grand slam match after an eight-month layoff, Raducanu returned to the same court, 1573 Arena, searching for her first second-round win in Melbourne. With two British players, Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter, preceding her on the same court, the British support was instantly loud and clear.
A former top-50 player in 2019 who fell out of the top 500 due to lengthy absences and poor form, Wang returned with an edge last year, winning 37 of 40 matches on the ITF circuit last summer and rising back to her current ranking of No 97. Wang is small and relatively underpowered, but she moves extremely well, is intelligent and uses a wicked top-spin forehand to outmaneuver opponents.
As Raducanu struggled to find her range, Wang was faultless for much of the opening set. She chased down countless balls, kept her unforced error count low and dictated with her forehand whenever possible. In the slower conditions, Raducanu struggled to hit through Wang and her error count rose. After taking the first set, Wang immediately broke serve to take a 6-4, 2-0 lead.
Denne historien er fra January 19, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
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Denne historien er fra January 19, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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