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Emma Raducanu forgets injury woes to advance at Indian Wells

Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates defeating Magda Linette of Poland - Emma Raducanu forgets injury woes by defeating Magda Linette to advance at Indian Wells - Getty Images/Julian Finney
Emma Raducanu of Great Britain celebrates defeating Magda Linette of Poland - Emma Raducanu forgets injury woes by defeating Magda Linette to advance at Indian Wells - Getty Images/Julian Finney

Emma Raducanu said this week that she is trying to use adversity as an incentive. She has certainly experienced plenty of setbacks over the 18 months since her glorious US Open triumph, but the signs from Indian Wells on Saturday – where Raducanu defeated Magda Linette in straight sets – were unequivocally positive.

With Linette having climbed to a career-best No21 in the world since her recent run to the Australian Open semi-finals, this was Raducanu’s best win on ranking since that breakthrough in New York. She looked to be in trouble early on, as she slipped to a 1-4 deficit, but her competitive instincts shone through as she roared back to claim a 7-6, 6-2 victory in 1hr 50min.

There was a moment of physical concern – when isn’t there, with Raducanu? – when she called the trainer to the court at 6-5 in the first set. She underwent a brief inspection on her troublesome wrist, but declined a medical time-out, opting for a simple painkilling tablet instead.

The intervention seemed ill-timed, given that she had just broken Linette’s serve, and was then broken to love in the very next game. But Raducanu regathered her composure and swept through the tie-break by a 7-3 margin. From there, she was largely untroubled as she used her superior movement to outmanoeuvre the increasingly baffled Linette.

Emma Raducanu - Emma Raducanu forgets injury woes by defeating Magda Linette to advance at Indian Wells - Getty Images/Mike Frey
Emma Raducanu - Emma Raducanu forgets injury woes by defeating Magda Linette to advance at Indian Wells - Getty Images/Mike Frey

With Indian Wells being a 96-player event, Raducanu is still some way from earning the sort of ranking points that would give her a significant boost on the ladder. But this is still the furthest she has gone in the Californian desert, after exits in the first round in 2021 (in the first event she played after her life-changing US Open) and the second round last year.

In the context of her disrupted build-up – which found her battling wrist tendinitis and the aftermath of tonsillitis – it has been a sterling effort to see off her first two opponents in straight sets. Against Danka Kovinic on Thursday, she had spent most of the changeovers coughing into her towel. But against Linette, her health seemed generally more robust, despite that single visit from the trainer.

Despite these signs of improved form, a return to British colours at next month’s Billie Jean King Cup tie looks increasingly unlikely, after Raducanu’s unexpected admission on Thursday that she doesn’t know when the match is being played. What’s more, Raducanu’s unguarded comment has clearly surprised Anne Keothavong, the British BJK Cup captain, who is out in Indian Wells this week.

At a press conference after the Kovinic match, Raducanu had been asked whether she anticipated joining the British team that is due to take on France at the Coventry Building Society Arena on April 14-15. “I don't even know when it is," Raducanu replied. "I haven't thought about it. I've just been so in my zone as I've said. I'll decide later." The comment came after she had already explained that she deleted WhatsApp and Instagram from her phone after the Australian Open, and was “living under my own little rock”.

A few hours later, Keothavong took to Twitter to point out that “My communication skills are generally good in case anyone was wondering.”

Andy Murray ended his run of deciding sets with a comparatively comfortable straight-sets win over Radu Albot in the second round.

The former world No 1 won in straight sets for the first time since October against the Moldovan, a late replacement for Pablo Carreno Busta, the No 15 seed, who pulled out of the match with injury.

Murray was unhappy about being given a time violation in the first set - AP
Murray was unhappy about being given a time violation in the first set - AP

Murray was at one point punished with a time violation and initially struggled with the windy conditions before coming through 6-4, 6-4.

He will next face Jack Draper who will be playing in his second straight all-British showdown after he defeated Dan Evans in the second round.

Evans has been coming back from an ankle problem, but this wasn’t the issue as much as the superior firepower deployed by the left-handed, 6ft 4in Draper.

Striking some truly venomous forehands, Draper edged a lengthy first set and then accelerated to a 6-4, 6-2 victory in exactly two hours.