It was a flawless start for the British contingent at the Australian Open as Emma Raducanu, Cam Norrie, and Arthur Fery all powered through to the second round on the tournament's opening day.
A Triple Triumph for British Tennis
The day began with a stunning upset from 23-year-old qualifier Arthur Fery, who defeated the visibly unwell No20 seed Flavio Cobolli. Later, British number two Cam Norrie navigated a characteristically gruelling five-set battle against France's Benjamin Bonzi to advance.
This set the stage for British number one Emma Raducanu, who completed the hat-trick with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Thailand's Mananchaya Sawangkaew. The win marked a significant moment for Raducanu, as it was her first Grand Slam match as a seeded player in four years.
Raducanu Overcomes Rocky Start
Raducanu's preparations for the match had been less than ideal. A foot injury delayed her full pre-season training until late December, and she arrived in Melbourne only on Friday after early-season losses at the United Cup and in Hobart.
Her frustrations were compounded by a late-night schedule, being placed second on the Margaret Court night session. She had questioned the logic of the timing, but fortunately, an earlier finish in the preceding men's match meant she started at 9.40pm local time.
Initially, the match seemed to justify her concerns. Raducanu made a wayward and lacklustre start, falling behind 3-1 and facing two break points. However, she crucially found her range to save them, preventing a potentially insurmountable 4-1 deficit. From that point, she dominated, exploiting her opponent's lengthy forehand backswing to win 11 of the final 13 games.
Looking Ahead to a Tougher Test
The victory, sealed with a brilliant backhand passing shot that would have made Andy Murray proud, felt like the true start of Raducanu's 2026 season. She displayed the controlled aggression she has been seeking in her game, providing a promising blueprint for the challenges ahead.
Her next opponent represents a significant step up in quality. Raducanu will face world No55 Anastasia Potapova in the second round. Potapova will be competing under the Austrian flag at a Grand Slam for the first time following her defection from Russia.
