Emma Raducanu stepped on the Australian Open tennis courts again and delivered a throwback performance to beat Shelby Rogers.
The last time Raducanu played Rogers at a Grand Slam event was a few years ago at the US Open, where she won the event. The American was one of those players she outplayed in that incredible title run and now she bested her again.
It wasn't her first win during this comeback, as she won a match in Auckland, but it's her first Grand Slam win since 2023, when she won her first-round match on the same courts in Melbourne.
The Brit showed glimpses of a high level in her previous matches, which she also showed today. She played her signature aggressive style, leaving very little to the imagination. Rogers tried her best to stay in the match, but she just kept making unforced errors.
It looked very similar to the US Open match because she was in a tough spot. If a player doesn't play aggressively enough, they're just setting Raducanu up to blast winners left and right.
That was the problem for Rogers, who tried to counter it but amassed 17 unforced errors in nine games of play in the first set. The second set wasn't any better because she was still amassing unforced errors at an alarmingly high rate.
Raducanu had fewer of her own, so the score looked even more impressive in this set. Ultimately, it was a pretty strong win for the Brit, with the final score being 6-3 6-2 in just over an hour of play.
The Brit had more winners and fewer errors while serving on a decent level as well to set up a second-round match with Yafan Wang.
Emma Raducanu vs Shelby Rogers Match Stats:
| Emma Raducanu | Shelby Rogers | |
| 4 | Aces | 2 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 2 |
| 63% | First Serve % | 60% |
| 91% (30/33) | Points Won After First Serve % | 69% (20/29) |
| 47% (9/19) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 37% (7/19) |
| 40% (2/5) | Break Point Conversion | 0% (0/0) |
| 15 | Winners | 15 |
| 16 | Unforced Errors | 35 |
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