Indian Wells 2023 Tennis: Emma Raducanu produced a stunning win over Danka Kovinic in the opener

British tennis player Emma Raducanu defeated Montenegrin Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-3 after 1 hour and 22 minutes of play in the first round of Indian Wells 2023 Tennis. The World No. 77 will face Poland's Magda Linette in the second round.

Also Read: Indian Wells 2023 Tennis: Andy Murray reaches second round after a tough cross against Tomas Etcheverry

Emma Raducanu comes from a difficult season, in which she made it to the Top Ten but injuries prevented her from competing regularly. Last season her most outstanding result was the semifinals of the WTA in Seoul. In addition, she reached the quarterfinals in Stuttgart and Washington. She also reached the third round of the WTA 1000 in Indian Wells, Madrid, and Cincinnati. However, her 2023 began with losses in the second round of Auckland and the Australian Open.

But on Thursday afternoon in Indian Wells 2023 Tennis, Raducanu gave an impressive demonstration of her resilience and intelligence. She shrugged off her poor preparation, adapted to the gusty desert conditions, and found a way through to the second round of the Indian Wells 2023 Tennis with a win over Danka Kovinic of Montenegro.

On the other hand, Danka Kovinic is close to her best ranking, the one she achieved in 2016 when she entered the Top 50. The Montenegrin maintains an even level that allows her to compete among the best in the world. Last season she became champion of the ITF W100k in Wiesbaden. She also reached the final in the WTA 125k in Buenos Aires. In addition, she played in the semifinals of Marbella and Parma. Her 2023 began with the semifinals in Auckland. After that a quick defeat at the Australian Open, the quarterfinals in Lyon, a setback in the qualy in Dubai, and an early farewell in Austin.

Also Read: "I want to be in the game till I'm in my 30s. We'll see what happens and how long I can last, to be honest"-Emma Raducanu

The start of the game of the Indian Wells 2023 Tennis began with a surprise. The Montenegrin pressed with the return and achieved the break to go two games up. However, the British remained focused, began to impose power on her shots, and went up the score. In a flurry, Raducanu strung together six games to take it 6-2 in 33 minutes. Almost like a mirror, Kovinic once again believed in herself to make the break and get back on top. However, Emma did not give up ground, quickly rallied, and then broke once more to set up her triumph. Despite the fact that her rival tried to return to the match, Raducanu never gave her a chance and sealed the 6-2, 6-3 after 1h22m.