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By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, March 9, 2023

 
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Emma Raducanu downed Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-3 in her Indian Wells opener that was her first match since the Australian Open last January.

Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty

Branding is both boon and burden for Emma Raducanu.

The 2021 US Open champion walked on court wearing the swoosh on her shirt, a bulls-eye on her back and a question marks all over her health status.

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Down an early break in both sets today, Raducanu rebranded her assertive style stopping Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-3 in her Indian Wells opener.

This return trip to Tennis Paradise was Raducanu's first match since the Australian Open last January.

Tonsilitis knocked the 77th-ranked Briton out of last week's Austin Open and murmurs of a nagging wrist injury left some pondering if Raducanu would make it to the gate for her return today.

Raducanu broke serve six times and won 21 of 29 points played on Kovinic's second serve avenging her 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 loss at the 2022 Australian Open.

"It was a good match for me to get through," Raducanu said. "I think that Danka is an extremely difficult opponent.

"I was expecting [a tough match] going into today, and I'm just glad to get through."



Down an early break, Raducanu reeled off six straight games sliding an ace down the middle to convert her second set point and seize the opening set.

Credit Kovinic for stamping the opening break in the second set as she took another 2-0 lead. Raducanu responded with a four-game run.   

Since Raducanu captured the 2021 US Open crown when she played through qualifying and swept 10 straight wins in straight sets to become the first qualifier—male or female—to win a Grand Slam singles title, she's endured a littany of injuries and several coaching changes.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by 乇爪爪卂 (@emmaraducanu)



Today, the brand ambassador for Porsche, Dior and Evian closed in 81 minutes to set up a second-round clash vs. 20th-seeded Magda Linette.

Linette opened the season knocking off three Top 20 players in succession to advance to the Australian Open semifinals where she lost to eventual-champion Aryna Sabalenka.

The 20-year-old Raducanu swept Linette, 6-2, 6-2, en route to the Seoul semifinals last fall.  

 

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