British player wins 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1 in first round
‘I’m very, very happy to come through that’
Emma Raducanu fought back tears after resuming her Wimbledon preparations by battling back from a set down to beat the US’s Ann Li in the first round of the Eastbourne Open.
Amid blustery conditions, the British No 1, who missed last week’s Berlin Open as she managed a back problem, triumphed 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-1.
Raducanu has been struggling with the issue since competing in Strasbourg before the French Open and took an off-court medical timeout during her quarter-final loss at Queen’s Club this month. But, aside from a slip and fall on the grass in set one, she appeared to come through her opening examination at Devonshire Park unscathed.
