Young British US Open champion Emma Radukanu got the star treatment as she beat Belgium’s Alison van Uytvanck 6-4, 6-4 in her first round at Wimbledon Center Court on Monday.
Making his tournament debut after several injuries and with little or no practice on the grass, the 19-year-old Radukanu put on an impressive performance.
Van Uytwank is ranked 46th in the world but enjoys playing on grass, having won 12 of his 14 matches on the surface this year, including two second-class titles.
His piece caused trouble for Radukanu, who took some time to figure out how to deal with his lack of pace, but Britain regained confidence and, pushed by home fans, confirmed a well-deserved win.
“It’s an incredibly special feeling to be back at Wimbledon,” Radukanu said.
“I felt supported as soon as I left. I want to thank everyone who was supporting here, even in difficult times, it was worth playing on center court and passing with a win.”
A year earlier, Radukanu had reached the fourth round of Wimbledon as an unknown and before winning the US Open against the odds. This time around, the 10th seed lives up to the hopes and even expectations of a nation that hasn’t seen a female champion at home since Virginia Wade in 1977.
Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad, who is currently ranked 28th in the world, crashed out of Wimbledon in the first round after losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to Slovenian Kaja Juvan.
