Earlier than the match began, Raducanu stated she didn’t “in truth anticipate a lot” from herself over the subsequent fortnight.
After shedding in Eastbourne final week to Australian teenager Maya Joint, Raducanu admitted she wanted to get her “head within the recreation” for the beginning of Wimbledon.
She defined she had obtained some “fairly unhealthy” private information which she wished to maintain personal and, on the tennis aspect of her life, has been dealing with ongoing again spasms because the off season.
However the 2021 US Open champion got here by way of her opening match – a tough event in opposition to British teenager Mimi Xu – with out a main scare and upped her stage once more in a dominant victory over Vondrousova.
“That is fairly a press release that Emma has put out,” stated former British primary Annabel Croft, who was analysing the match for BBC Radio 5 Reside.
“I do not suppose she may very well be hitting the ball any higher, I actually do not. She was completely middling it.
“I might suppose that may be fairly worrying for Sabalenka often because she’ll be dealing with Raducanu at her finest.
“If Raducanu can play something near that stage once more, though she is probably not allowed to as a result of Sabalenka will convey plenty of energy, she’s going to give the world primary a run for her cash.”
