Australian Open 2024 results: Emma Raducanu beats Shelby Rogers in Melbourne – BBC.com
Focus on Raducanu has been intense since she announced her arrival to the world with that remarkable US Open triumph.
The road has been rockier since the teenage qualifier won one of the biggest prizes in the sport.
There have been a series of injuries and illness, taking its toll mentally as well as physically, before the long break enforced by the surgeries in May.
But interest in her story has never waned and, on a packed outside court at Melbourne Park, Raducanu reminded us of her talent.
There will be tougher tests ahead, of course.
Rogers, who Raducanu beat on her way to her defining title in New York, is also on the comeback trail after missing the second half of last season with an abdominal injury.
Playing under a protected ranking of 51, 31-year-old Rogers showed signs of rustiness and fatigue in a match in which she made 35 unforced winners compared to 15 winners.
Nevertheless, Raducanu will take a lot of confidence from a performance where she did not face a break point and won 91% of points behind her first serve.
Raducanu clinched victory on her first match point with a forehand drive volley and immediately turned to her team with a raised clenched fist.
After shaking hands with Rogers, she smiled as she waved to the crowd and and then ran around the perimeter to thank the fans leaning over.
“I missed that feeling of playing and interacting with the crowd, so I wanted to spend some time with them,” Raducanu said.
“I heard some young kids calling my name and it’s hard to walk away. I enjoy it and I definitely missed it when I was away.”
