Emma Raducanu fought from a break down in the first set to defeat Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the Australian Open first round on Sunday.
Raducanu, seeded 28th at the event, bounced back after suffering a brutal loss to Taylah Preston at the Hobart International.
Raducanu insisted there was no pressure on her heading into this year’s Australian Open. However, the pressure was certainly mounting when she almost went two breaks down in the first set on Sunday.
The British star rallied back from her first set deficit, eventually defeating her Thai opponent 6-4, 6-1.
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After the contest, Raducanu heavily praised her 23-year-old opponent, who is ranked 196 in the world.
Emma Raducanu praises Mananchaya Sawangkaew’s return game and shot-making
During her on-court interview, Raducanu noted how well Sawangkaew began the match.
The Thai player, ranked 196 in the world, led Raducanu 4-2 in the first set, but went on to lose the next seven games.
Reflecting on her performance and Sawangkaew’s shotmaking, Raducanu said: “I feel very happy to have gotten through that match. From the beginning, I felt like she [Sawangkaew – pictured below] was playing incredibly well and all of her returns and shots seemed to be dropping on the baseline or an inch from and it made life very difficult.
“So I’m very proud of how I fought back in the first set and she’s playing some incredible tennis, playing way higher than her ranking is currently and I’m sure she’s going to do good things this year.”
Sawangkaew, ranked 196 in the world, was competing in her first-ever match in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
The British number one reflected on her own Grand Slam debut when noting Sawangkaew’s landmark moment.
Raducanu made her Grand Slam debut at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships, reaching the fourth round.
“Yeah I remember my debut Slam was at Wimbledon and I was incredibly nervous,” Raducanu said.
“But at the same time I had such a great run and it set up amazing memories for me and it’s one of my most fond memories in terms of a tournament.
“It’s very nerve wracking, especially playing straight away on a big stadium, so she did really well to come out the blocks firing. I was so impressed and I really had to stay calm, stay composed and keep going and trusting my game one point at a time.”
Emma Raducanu shares how she prepared for her night match in Melbourne
Raducanu also shared her preparation heading into her first match in Melbourne.
Raducanu’s match against Samangkaew occupied a night slot in the Australian Open schedule, much to the displeasure of the 23-year-old British star.
“Yeah I think the preparation side of yesterday, got to the court at 9:15 to 11:15pm,” Raducanu said.
“It was the latest I’ve ever practised. Just to get used to it, it’s completely different to the day, it’s a lot slower, it’s colder, the ball doesn’t travel as much through the air, it’s not that high bouncing but I got used to it a bit yesterday and really happy that I did that.
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“Came out today and it’s a difficult one because you need to switch on at the right time and not too early so you’re not expending too much energy and yeah, had a potter around Melbourne this morning by the river and then had a nap! [laughing].”
Raducanu will play Anastasia Potapova in the Australian Open second round. Potapova, of Latvia, rallied from 1-5 down in the second set of her first round match to defeat Suzan Lamens 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Emma Raducanu identifies the turning point in her match against Mananchaya Sawangkaew
In her post-match press conference, Raducanu reflected on her competitive spirit, noting the importance of one particular game during the first set.
“Yeah, I actually didn’t feel particularly bad in terms of doing much wrong,” Raducanu said.
“I thought she was serving incredibly well, better than I probably expected going on to the court. Hitting all the spots, very high first-serve percentage. Returns were dropping very deep on the line a couple times early on.
“That puts a lot of pressure on straightaway. Maybe I made a few errors thinking I had to do a bit too much early on. I was still looking for forehand, doing the right things. I didn’t think I was particularly tense.
“I was just very happy with how I kept competing. It was a really important game at 2-4 to hold, having saved a couple break points at 15-40.
“After that I think it was a combination of me finding my feet, my movement, dominating a bit more, and also a few errors from her. Both of that helped. I ended up having a pretty good run of games.”
