Emma Raducanu burst onto the scene at the 2021 US Open with an improbable run to the title. On Tuesday, she made her Australian Open debut and picked up where she left off defeating Sloane Stephens, another former US Open champion, 6-0 2-6 6-1.

It was a match with big momentum swings as it appeared the Brit was en route to an easy win after taking every game in the first set. However, Stephens fought back in the second set, only to see Raducanu gain full control again in the third.

The match was filled with long, grueling rallies which favored Stephens in the second set, but as the match progressed, Raducanu found more control in the longer points.

Raducanu reflected afterward, “In the long rallies she was just edging through with her defense. I am happy to have regrouped and in the third set I don’t think the score reflected the level out there because I was really feeling it”.

It was a difficult first-round draw for the two grand slam champions.

“It was a tough match-up for a first round. I knew there was going to be some very long rallies and I was having to work extremely hard for my points,” Raducanu said.

“I was very pleased. Coming out in the first set I thought I played some very good tennis with very little unforced errors and then, of course, there was going to be some adversity.

Raducanu overcame that adversity and moves on to face Danka Kovinic in the second round.