Having lost 2-5 in the opening set and then twice a stationary set, Raducanu showed her adaptability and mental strength as she methodically turned the match around, finally scoring a convincing 7-6 (3), 6-0 victory. of Tereza. Martincova to reach the second round. The match was the second meeting between the couple this month, with Radukanu winning a tough victory against Martincova in her first professional clay court match in the Billie Jean King Cup. But while the fastest altitude conditions in Madrid are favorable for Raducanu, they also suit Martincova. The Czech served excellently, put constant pressure on Radukanu with her for and was extremely clean for most of the first set. But not all. As in Prague, Raducanu produced its best tennis when it needed it most. This time she completely changed her approach under pressure. Not only did she start filling her shots with more top-spins, adding margin to her game, moving further behind the baseline and causing errors by Martincova as a result, she also embraced the ground with her attacking play. Having started the game aggressively in the baseline, looking to change directions on the line, playing essentially like on a hard court, Raducanu began to work the points with width and angle, slowly dragging Martincova off the field. In the miserable gatherings that followed, Raducanu’s greatest athleticism was so often the difference in late exchanges. In the net, all the opposition quickly collapsed. After saving the set points, tying the opening set at 5-5 and then harnessing its momentum in an excellent tiebreak, Radukanu ran through the match, winning 11 of the last 12 games to seal the victory. Such a thoughtful appearance was a good demonstration of why Raducanu is so confident in its ability to read and understand the game and why it does not think it needs a great coach to guide it at all times. It was also a look at how she could adapt her game to find steady success on clay in the future as her experience grows to the surface. Raducanu will then face Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine, a 19-year-old compatriot with whom she grew up playing as a junior. “In all juniors he was always the favorite when we played. “It was considered much better,” Raducanu said. “Yes, it’s funny. When we played last year he played very well, but I was not very good that day either. So it will be an interesting match. “ Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka returned to the ground with a promising victory as she recovered after a break down to comfortably beat Anastasia Potapova 6-3, 6-1. In the men’s event, which starts on Sunday, Andy Murray got an exciting draw in the first round against former US Open champion Dominic Thiem. While Murray is a surprise wild card player in Madrid after initially planning to miss the entire season on the clay court, Thiem returns to tennis after a disastrous year following a serious wrist injury and many setbacks. He has not won another match after three back tournaments.
