Emma Raducanu hailed her clarity of thought following a scintillating first-round display at the LTA's HSBC Championships. The 2021 US Open champion needed only an hour at Queen's to storm past qualifier Anna Blinkova 6-0 6-3 after the match had been halted early due to rain.
While the inclement weather proved fleeting, Raducanu's exploits on the Andy Murray Arena showed her back at her consistent best, securing her first win since the second round of Indian Wells in March.
"I started extremely well, and despite not having played a lot of matches, I was really pleased with how I came out and I was playing very free," said Raducanu, who will face Sorana Cirstea in the second round. "I was feeding off the atmosphere, and it felt free, clear, with a lot of clarity. I was not thinking too much or trying to do too much. It felt very natural."
Strong Start After Reuniting with Coach
Having reunited with coach Andrew Richardson, who guided her to success at Flushing Meadows five years ago, Raducanu made a strong start, racing into a 3-0 lead after breaking Blinkova in the second game. The rain momentarily halted her progress, but once the clouds relented, the British No. 1 picked up where she left off, breaking the Russian to love before holding serve to extend her advantage to 5-0.
A feature throughout the match was Raducanu's imperious forehand, which helped her clinch the first set in just 20 minutes, winning 25 points to her opponent's six. A delightful cross-court backhand was the pick of her winners as she took the first game of the second set.
Blinkova's Brief Rally
After losing eight straight games, Blinkova enjoyed her best spell, rallying to level at 3-3, partly due to Raducanu's three consecutive double faults in the sixth game. But last year's quarter-finalist upped the ante, taking the last three games and clinching victory with a stylish backhand winner down the line.
"I love playing on grass," added Raducanu. "It felt really good to be back out playing on a home court in front of the fans. I'm really proud of my performance today."
