British tennis star Emma Raducanu shrugged off a medical scare to progress into the second round of the French Open.
The former U.S. Open winner overcame Wang Xinyu 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 45 minutes to set up a mouthwatering clash against four-time Roland Garros queen Iga Swiatek.
But the contest was not without drama as the world No. 41 called for a medical timeout late when she lead 6-5 in the opening set.
Raducanu was handed a bag of ice while the courtside doctor assessed her temperature and blood pressure.
She then proceeded to rub ice cubes around her eyes.
Thankfully Raducanu was good to go after she gulped down a bottle of water and consumed some fruit.
Raducanu subsequently won the following game to take the first set.
Speaking after her win, Raducanu conceded she was ‘struggling from the start’ but proud she managed to fight past her health woes.
“She’s [Wang Xinyu] a tough opponent, she can take the racquet out of your hands,” Raducanu said.
“I was just flat but I’m happy I found a way. I haven’t been here in three years but think it was a culmination of some things.
“I’m happy to get through.
“When you’re not feeling energetic, I knew I had to start well to give myself the best chance to keep fighting.”
After losing the first set, Wang roared back to life in the second and raced out to a 5-1 lead as Raducanu’s medical woes looked as if they had caught up to her.
But just when it seemed the Chinese star was in cruise control, Raducanu shook herself back to life and rattled off three straight games.
Raducanu even had multiple chances to level it at 5-5 but could not pick up the necessary break of serve as Wang held her nerve to send the match to a deciding set.
The third set saw yet another flying start out of the gates but this time it was Raducanu as she leapt out to a 5-1 lead.
Although Wang saved a number of match points and pegged the deficit back to 5-3, she handed the win to Raducanu on a platter with a double fault.
Wang was left to bemoan an alarming difference in unforced errors as she made 54 compared to Raducanu’s 29.
The Chinese star also reeled off four aces and 46 winners.
Yet Raducanu was superior in the only stat that mattered.
The win equalled her previous-best performance at the tournament having reached the second round in her only other appearance at Roland Garros in 2022.
Up against former world No. 1 Swiatek in the next round, Raducanu insists the pressure will be all on the Pole.
“I’m very happy to give myself another chance,” Raducanu said.
“I felt the noise around the match [against Swiatek] before we’d played the first round.
“I’m looking forward to going out there. There’s not much pressure on me going out there, I think my game is in a great place so it’s a great challenge.”
