BRITISH tennis player Emma Raducanu says it was important to win badly at Wimbledon.
Raducanu eased through a first-round battle once morest lucky Mexican Renata Zarazua, with the 21-year-old Briton claiming a 7-6 (7-0) 6-3 victory on Centre Court.
Raducanu said she used England’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Slovakia in their Euro 2024 last-16 tie as motivation to find a way past Zarazua.
“I was nervous, I think everyone might see that in my tennis, but in the end you have to do whatever it takes to get over the line,” Raducanu said, as quoted by BBC (2/7).
“To be honest, watching the football last night, it felt like winning in such an ugly way, it meant everything.”
Raducanu was due to face 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and thought she would be the underdog in her first appearance at the All England Club since losing in the second round two years ago.
Read also: Raducanu Hopes to Recover and Compete at Australian Open
However, the 2021 US Open champion found himself in a reverse situation when the Russian withdrew due to illness.
“For the last three days, I have been playing and preparing for the same opponent and then it was a change of plans,” he said.
“It took a bit of adjusting and finding my position. But I want to thank everyone for their support in crucial moments. I enjoyed playing once more here.”
Zarazua, who lost in the third round of qualifying, benefited from Alexandrova’s absence and earned her main draw debut at Wimbledon.
Despite the odds, she managed to put Raducanu under pressure in a tense display from the home favourite. But the Briton had enough quality to eventually come away with a win.
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