Emma Raducanu roars as the Brit fights through attack of double faults to reach Australian Open second round

It was rarely pretty and never comfortable, but Emma Raducanu is through to the second round of the Australian Open after a creditable 7-6, 7-6 victory against No. 26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The 22-year-old was attacked by jumping ants before the tournament, but here it was the second serve gremlins, and the subsequent allergic reaction brought 15 double faults.

But Raducanu played well overall and with some impressive issues resolved on the spot – helped by an odd word from coach Nick Cavaday – she won only her fourth Grand Slam match against a ranked opponent.

The British No. 2 appeared to adjust her serve for the umpteenth time – this time a grip change – and her second delivery was extremely inconsistent.

The first serve was fine – 57 percent in and nine aces – but in the first set Raducanu won only 18 percent of her second service points. The double faults were the main culprits, but even when the second serve came in, Alexandrova was brutal. The fact that Raducanu was still able to take the set showed how well the rest of her game was working.

Alexandrova, 30, has an all-or-nothing style and the combination of that and Raducanu’s service problems made this a match of dissonant rhythm.

The British star secured a 7-6 7-6 victory against 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova (pictured)

Raducanu played well overall and was able to solve some impressive problems right away

Raducanu hit five double faults and five aces in her first two service games; her opponent is from the Urals, but it was Raducanu who played Russian roulette.

The in-and-out serve was certainly due to an apparent change in grip: Raducanu’s racket head was much more open, theoretically allowing for more spin.

Raducanu suffered a back spasm that hampered her preparation, so perhaps that injury disrupted her work on the service adjustment.

Whatever the reason, the first set was a huge battle. Raducanu ultimately remained steady and reduced the doubles at the expense of the aces.

The tiebreak came after eight service breaks in nine games and Raducanu held her nerve as Alexandrova made three bad errors on her normally powerful forehand.

In the second set, Raducanu frequently glanced at coach Nick Cavaday during her service games and he always responded with the universal hand signal for “kick.”

That’s the spin that allows players to control the flight and direction of a second serve, and while Raducanu has never been a natural kick server, she did get some more work on the ball as the match progressed and began to tighten up on her opponent’s body. serve. , denying her the space to free her arms.

The double faults resurfaced midway through the second set, with three in one game, but she still managed three straight holds.

The British No. 2 appeared to debut yet another adjustment to her serve – this time a grip change, but the consistency of her second serve was extremely inconsistent

Raducanu (right) did a lot wrong, but also a lot right, but it was impressive to see her best tennis come to life during the two tiebreaks

Serving for the match, she took a 30-0 lead, but Alexandrova took a few hits with her pancake-flat groundstrokes and Raducanu double-faulted on break point.

She responded with a brave hold and took us to a second tiebreak, in which she was quite brilliant to make it 7-2.

With Raducanu there’s always something about seeing a talented young player figure things out in the blink of an eye and this was certainly one of those days.

She did a lot wrong, but also a lot right, and most impressive was the fact that she comfortably achieved her best tennis in the two tiebreaks.

In the second round, Raducanu will face another former teen star, American Amanda Anisimova.