Long-lost Raducanu makes winning return

Former US Open winner Emma Raducanu, whose career looked to have been buried by injury, made a winning return to the courts after nine months away, reaching the second round of the WTA event in Auckland.

The Brit who made big bank as a potential future star after winning the 2021 US Open from a qualifying start, failed to fire after her New York success and has spent the time since her last match in April recovering from elbow and ankle surgeries.

She has also been through a handful of coaches.

But the Romanian-Chinese Londoner put all that in the past as she produced a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 defeat of Romania’s No. 134 Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

It was not all one-way traffic for Raducanu. who led 5-2 in the final set and wasted two match points before finally advancing.

“I’m just really happy to be back on the tour and can’t wait to start this season and carry on hopefully injury-free and healthy,” the winner said..

“I’m grateful to be able to move my body, not bed-ridden and in a wheelchair.”

Raducanu has plenty of grond to make up as she repairs a protected ranking of No. 103 and now faces Ukrainian second seed Elina Svitolina, who stalled the motherhood comeback of former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3.