Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu overcame wind and rain in a match which stretched over virtually 4 hours to beat Linda Fruhvirtova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 Tuesday in her first singles match of 2023 on the ASB Classic.
The match twice was interrupted by rain and the second delay within the deciding set pressured the gamers from the courtroom for nearly an hour.
Raducanu returned to take cost of the match, instantly breaking the 17-year-old Fruhvirtova for a 2-0 lead and occurring to serve for the match at 5-0.
Fruhvirtova broke again for 5-1, then saved 4 match factors on serve in a tenacious try and hold the match alive.
Raducanu fell behind 0-30 in her subsequent service sport however recovered with a collection of massive serves and at last took out the match in slightly below 2 1-2 hours of courtroom time, not counting delays.
“I think it’s like four hours later. Honestly, I don’t know what time it is anymore,” Raducanu mentioned.
“What a battle. Linda is such a great young player and it was a different dynamic for me because usually I’m the younger one. Going into this match she is and she’s going to be up there for sure, she already is.”
Raducanu, who’s 20, was taking part in her first aggressive match in 2 1-2 months and needed to struggle exhausting in opposition to the Czech teenager who received a decent first set in 53 minutes.
The first and shorter rain delay got here at 4-4 within the first set. Fruhvirtova took an early 2-0 lead within the second set however Raducanu broke again for 2-2 and went on to take the set in 46 minutes.
The second rain break got here with Raducanu main 1-0 within the third set. She received the subsequent 4 video games and ultimately the match with a marked carry in aggression. While her serve was robust, her return of serve was decisive and he or she received 65% of factors of Fruhvirtova’s second serve.
Raducanu’s second-round opponent might be Slovakia qualifier Viktoria Kuzmova, who upset fourth-seeded Bernarda Pera 6-4, 6-4.
Kuzmova took benefit of a robust first serve to win key factors in a decent contest whereas Pera, the Croatia-born American, struggled in windy situations and had 9 double faults.
After profitable the primary set, Kuzmova dropped 3-0 behind within the second earlier than reeling off 5 straight video games. She had two match factors on Pera’s serve at 5-3 however the Forty fourth-ranked Pera saved each. She saved two extra as Kuzmova served for the match at 5-4, lastly clinching the match together with her ninth ace.
“In this type of weather when it’s really windy I knew everything is possible,” Kuzmova mentioned. “I just tried to stay positive and go for every ball and I’m very happy that I won the second set.”