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Emma Raducanu has finally came back to play a Slam tournament. The very young British qualified for the 2nd round of the Australian Open 2024 by beating Shelby Rogers in straight sets, with the final score of 6-3 6-2. The former US Open winner, out of action for almost all of 2023 due to the three surgeries she underwent, showed good and solid tennis, also from a mental point of view, ruling the challenge form the baseline.
The British tennis player will now face China's Yafan Wang in the second round. Elena Rybakina instead defeated former WTA No.1 Karolina Pliskova 7-6(6) 6-4. And the first set tie-break was decisive. Leading 3-0 and then 6-3, Pliskova made the impossible mistake, giving her opponent the chance to get back into the match.
Czech coach Stefano Vukov did everything to encourage his player, but mistakes and bad decisions compromised the first set of the former two-time Slam finalist. The match gradually faded away and after the break for Rybakina at 1-1 in the second set.
In the second round Rybakina will meet Anna Blinkova, winner 6-2 6-4 against Cristina Bucsa.
The other matches
Iga Swiatek started her adventure at the Australian Open well, beating Sofia Kenin with some small problems.
The Pole wasn't as dominant as she was on other occasions and she had to struggle especially in the first set to overcome the American. The first to find the break was the American herself, who at 4-4 took the lead again by breaking serve from the player from Warsaw.
The 25-year-old was unable to close out the games and in the tie-break Swiatek's solidity prevailed (7-6). In the second Kenin began to decline in her performance on the court, while the Pole no longer conceded much, with her serve.
The final result was a 6-2 which gave the second round to the top seed in the draw. The German Angelique Kerber was eliminated, who tried to come back and hold on but in the end she had to surrender to Danielle Collins (6-2, 3-6, 6-1).
There was nothing to be done for Camila Giorgi who was eliminated in the first round by Victoria Azarenka. 6-1 4-6 6-3 the final score for the Belarusian. Azarenka immediately broke away in the first set and closed it easily 6-1 with a double fault by Giorgi on set point.
The second set opened with a break by Camila Giorgi who broke Azarenka's serve. But Giorgi's advantage didn't last long because there was an immediate counter break. The set continued with serves until 4-4 when Giorgi managed to break Azarenka again to lead 5-4.
And the Italian player closed the set 6-4 on the third set point. In the decisive set, the fourth game was the decisive one with Giorgi losing serve, Azarenka running with her head and finishing 6-3.