Australian Open 2025 Women’s Day 3

Emma Raducanu stormed through a second-set tiebreaker, claiming a 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2) victory over Ekaterina Alexandrova to move into the second round.

Britain’s 2021 US Open champion placed in the second round here for a fourth consecutive edition, finishing on her third match point with a ball at the feet of her opponent.

Raducanu was playing her first match since the BJK Cup last November.

She won despite 15 double-faults, firing nine aces but her unforced error count hit 30 while she broke Alexandrova six times from 10 chances in the two-and-a-quarter-hour struggle.

The 22-year-old Londoner had no real explanation as to the state of her serving.

“Honestly, I’m not sure what I changed in my serve today. I think it had a
mind of its own.

“I’ve had experience having teething problems with it (but) being able to come back and fix it for the next match.

“I’m looking forward to getting back out on the court tomorrow and working on it.”

She added: “I’m very pleased to have come through that match. It was difficult, quite hot out there, getting quite sunny and I was playing against a really experienced opponent.

“I’m very proud of how I fought and how I overcame certain situations in that match.”

The No. 61 next faces Amanda Anisimova for a breakthrough third-round spot after the American dispatched Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina 6-2, 6-3 in 75 minutes. .

No, 6 Elena Rybakina showed her champion’s form as she hammered teenaged Australian qualifier Emerson Jones, with the 2022 Wimbledon winner showing no mercy in 53 minutes.

“Of course I knew that people want to support the Australian,” the winner said. “She’s very young.

“I knew that I’m going to have a lot of opportunities. So I was kind of prepared for anything.”

But 17-year-old American prodigy Iva Jovic pulled out a convincing win as she destroyed Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain 6-2, 6-1.

Eighth seed Emma Navarro won an all-American showdown with Payton Stearns 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5.

Last season’s US Open semi-finalist is a first-time top eight seed, with an Australian hardcourt title from Hobart a year ago.

 Ninth seed Daria Kasatkina defeated Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova 6-1, 6-3 while beatriz Haddad Maia, seeded 15th, sent out Argentine qualifier Julia Riera 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.      

Main photo:-Emma Raducanu celebrates by WTATennis.com