Emma Raducanu off to impressive start at Indian Wells with confident win

Emma Raducanu entered the second round of Indian Wells with a clean performance and no major issues, confidently completing a 6-2, 6-3 victory over qualifier Rebeka Masarova. Raducanu will now face 30th seed Dayana Yastremska for a spot in the third round.

After suffering in the opening set in her loss to Anhelina Kalinina in Doha last month, Raducanu was sharp from the first point this time against Masarova, a big-serving but inconsistent Spaniard. She rebounded well, found good depth in her strokes and showed off Masarova’s movement with her early ball strikes and sharp angles, especially with her backhand. In contrast to her ultra-aggressive approach in the Middle East, Raducanu played with more patience and chose more carefully when to step into the baseline with power.

But at 3-0, with two breaks, Raducanu dropped serve with three consecutive double faults. She worked through her struggles and ultimately her greater consistency and greater mobility made a marked difference as she battled through a tricky service game at 3-2 before playing her way through the set.

The second took a similar turn, with Raducanu establishing a 3–0 lead, but she lost focus and let the Spaniard back in. But with the first set in hand and Masarova’s confidence waning, Raducanu was strong in the decisive moments and confidently sealed the victory.

This is a notable week for Raducanu as she aims to move back up the rankings following her eight-month layoff while recovering from surgeries on her wrists and ankles in April. Last year, Raducanu defeated two top 20 seeds to reach the fourth round in Indian Wells, one of her best results since winning the US Open. She must now defend those points, otherwise she faces a further drop in the rankings.

However, Raducanu says she is not focused on her status at the moment. Between the Middle East and California, she spent weeks training at home at the LTA’s National Tennis Center in Roehampton. Instead of piling up the games, she believes she should prioritize her development as a player at this point in her career. On Saturday she will get a chance to showcase her efforts in training against Yastremska, a semi-finalist at this year’s Australian Open.

Simona Halep has announced she will return to professional tennis in ten days’ time at the Miami Open, following news that her four-year doping ban has been reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, allowing the former No. 1 to return to the competition. immediately.

“I am thrilled to let you all know that in two weeks I will be making my return to the WTA Tour on the Miami opened,” Halep wrote on social media. “Thank you to the tournament for giving me this opportunity and I can’t wait to get back on the field and compete. See you soon!”