Lexus Eastbourne Open 2025: Emma Raducanu fights back to beat Ann Li in first round
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British No.1 Emma Raducanu came back from a set down to clinch a first round victory over American Ann Li at the Lexus Eastbourne Open.
Raducanu fought back to defeat world No.64 Li 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 in two hours and 21 minutes to punch her ticket into the second round.
The 23-year-old continues her strong form on the grass, backing up a quarter-final appearance at the HSBC Championships just a fortnight ago.
She’s now won in the opening round of each of her last seven tournaments on the WTA Tour.
The former US Open champion closed out the win with a beautiful backhand winner before dropping her racket to the floor and tearing up with joy following a hard-fought victory.
“I feel incredible," Raducanu said after the match. "I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments. It really meant a lot to me and I’m so proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.
“It was a tough match. Ann was hitting winners all over the place and it was obviously very windy. I’m just very happy to come through that today.
“In the middle of the second set I feel like I found an extra gear, an extra level and I’m proud of how I got through that.”
Raducanu is being supported this week by coach Mark Petchey as well as another British star in her box today, who is also set to compete in the second round tomorrow.
“I had head coach Fran Jones and assistant coach Mark Petchey there today,” Raducanu joked in her on court interview. “It was really nice to have that support and it’s been going so well with Mark. I’m looking forward to playing tomorrow and Wimbledon as well.
“When the schedule works, we like to be there for each other (Raducanu and Jones). To have her support there on a day like today means so much to me.
"She’s someone who is very intelligent about tennis and life. Speaking about tennis she’s someone I can speak to for hours about picking apart tactics and technique and players – she’s a really great sounding board.”
A tough draw for the British No.1 at the start of the week now looks very different with two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur and reigning champion Daria Kasatkina bowing out in the opening round.
It was Kasatkina who defeated Raducanu in last year’s quarter-finals, which was the Brit’s debut event here in Eastbourne.
Instead, Raducanu will now face Australian rising star Maya Joint in the second round – a tough matchup against a 19-year-old who won her first WTA title in Rabat last month and is currently ranked No.51 in the world.
Raducanu and Joint faced each other earlier in the season at the Italian Open where the Brit managed a 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3 win.
The biggest positive for Raducanu to take away from her opening round clash with Li will be the way she managed to fight back at key moments to not let the match slip away.
She came back from 3-0 down in the opening set to take the American to a tie-break and then from an early break down in the second won six of the last seven games.
With the match on the line in the deciding set Raducanu hit full flight and was very impressive on serve despite the windy conditions – dropping just three points on serve throughout the set.
If she’s able to keep that level moving forward, Raducanu will be a tough outing for any opponent on the south coast this week.
Raducanu forms part of a British trio into the second round so far after Francesca Jones defeated Greet Minnen yesterday and Jodie Burrage picked up a straight sets win at the start of the day.
British No.3 Sonay Kartal however lost a difficult opening round match against former Roland Garros champion and 2021 Eastbourne title winner, Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 7-6(2).
Competing at her local tournament for the first time, Kartal did well to recover three games after going 5-0 down in the opening set but ultimately the third seed had enough to get over the line.
Ostapenko led throughout the second but the Brit broke back at 5-4 and again at 6-5 to force the tie-break.
The Latvian – who is looking to make a final run for the third time in five years – got out to an early four point lead in the tie-break before sealing the match on a third mini break.
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