Emma Raducanu shrugs off injury concerns to win Indian Wells opener
US Open Champion Emma Raducanu sealed her place in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open following a 2-1 victory over Caroline Garcia.
The teenager was a doubt ahead of the tournament after picking up a leg injury during an event in Mexico just two weeks ago.Â
Despite this, she was able to recover in time and put on an impressive performance during her 6-1 3-6 6-1 victory over Garcia.
The win was timely considering Raducanu's difficult start to the season. The Brit has faced problems with Covid-19, blisters and early eliminations but appears to be returning to form.
The 19-year-old was in full control of the opening set and took it inside 27 minutes, dropping just one game in the process.
First win in the desert 😀
— wta (@WTA) March 12, 2022
🇬🇧 @EmmaRaducanu survives a topsy-turvy three set match over Garcia!#IndianWells pic.twitter.com/MNzgiRs0dl
Her French opponent fought back in the second and won 6-3 to take the match to the final set.
However, Raducanu showed her class and secured her place in the third round with a 6-1 win in set three.
The Brit will now take on Croatia's Petra Martic in the next round of the BNP Paribas Open.