by After a troubled few days in Melbourne – in which she dropped out of two exhibition matches in a row – Emma Raducanu’s tour took a turn for the better on Thursday.
After putting in a solid two-hour practice session this morning, she landed a favorable draw against a woman who hadn’t played on tour in six months.
In an echo of the tournament that made her famous, Raducanu will open her Australian Open campaign against Shelby Rogers – the 31-year-old American she defeated on her way to the 2021 US Open title.
The previous match was Raducanu’s first match at Arthur Ashe Stadium – the biggest venue in tennis – and she looked in awe as she looked up at the vertiginous stands.
But if she felt any anxiety about performing on such a big stage, she got more than it soon because she reeled off 11 straight games, which changed the lead of Rogers early in a 6-2, 6-1 defeat.
Today, as a global celebrity with 2.4m Instagram followers, Raducanu has the experience to be a main attraction. But her low ranking after her injury layoff (she is No 299 in the world, while Rogers is No 156) means she will likely have to settle for one of the smaller exhibition courts.
As this is the first Australian Open to introduce a Sunday start, the first round of the tournament will span three days, and it has not yet been decided when Raducanu will play. She may have preferred to wait until Tuesday after the general soreness she suffered from her championship comeback in Auckland last week forced her to withdraw from those two scheduled exhibition matches on Tuesday and Wednesday.
However, fears that Raducanu might be carrying a particular injury came to light on Thursday when she trained for two hours at Melbourne Park with her latest locum coach Nick Cavaday, who worked with her previously this was when she was a junior representative at Bromley Tennis Centre.
In a draw that produced mixed results for the British contingent, Andy Murray landed a meeting with 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina. If he wins that one, Murray could go on to play two old foes he’s known since then: Gael Monfils in the second round, and … gulp … Novak Djokovic in the third round.
“Hopefully I can get there,” said Murray, who made his second appearance at the Kooyong Classic on Thursday and scored a solid 6-4, 6-2 win over former US Open champion Dominic Thiem. “I haven’t done my best in the grand slams in the last few years so I need to focus on the first match. But I would love to play Novak again if possible.”
How could the Brits get up in Melbourne
Emma Raducanu (299) v Shelby Rogers (156)
Rogers’ form will be hard to predict. She has not played since last year’s Wimbledon due to knee and stomach problems. So Raducanu – who missed most of last season with injury – may have a slight advantage as she enjoyed a spectacle in Auckland last week. Rogers stands 5ft 9in and relies on direct, one-way play from the baseline. Raducanu is well-advised to use angles and changes of pace to keep her moving, as Rogers gives the ball proper rebound when she is allowed to set her feet. If Raducanu came through, she would likely meet 22nd seed Sorana Cirstea – the Romanian she advanced to in the third round of Wimbledon in 2021 – in the next challenging match.
Prediction: third round
Andy Murray (44) v Thomas Martin Etcheverry (30)
Murray hasn’t had much luck with his Australian Open draws of late. In four appearances since the onset of his hip trouble, he has landed a first-round meeting with a seed each time. Etcheverry may not be a big name – except in the most literal sense – but he’s a relentless grinder who doesn’t give much away. These two met twice on the ATP Tour last season, scoring one win each after a pair of three-set slugfests. Over the longer format used at the slams, however, Murray would be wise to avoid another dogfight against such a powerful physical opponent. “It’s not easy,” Murray said Thursday. “He had a great year last year and plays very well. It’s a good test for me in the first game.”
Prediction: third round
Cameron Norrie (19) v Juan Pablo Varillas (80)
This should be a comfortable draw against the 28-year-old Peruvian who has won just one grand slam on hard courts. However, there must be some concern about Norrie’s fitness level after his late decision to withdraw from the ATP event in Auckland on Thursday. The reason offered was a problem in his right hand. Even if Norrie’s agent insists that the withdrawal was “precautionary”, Norrie himself has a great affection for the city where he grew up, and this decision would not have been made lightly.
Prediction: fourth round
Katie Boulter (57) v Yue Yuan (73)
Boulter enters the Australian Open ranked among the top 50 in the world. Making a fast start to the new season, she secured a career-best win over world No.5 Jessica Pegula at the United Cup in Perth, but then lost some of that momentum when she lost to Anna Bogdan in Adelaide. had mentioned to her. Still, this is a reasonable draw. Both of these women are unusually tall – Boulter 5ft 11in and Yuan 5ft 10in – and will play first-strike tennis, as they are not the best defenders. Should Boulter win, she would likely face another Chinese opponent – the dangerous Qinwen Zheng – in her next match.
Prediction: second round
Dan Evans (40) v Lorenzo Sonego (46)
Evans will be no match for Sonego – a tall and loose Italian – when he takes over. But then, as a fleet-footed spinner with a silky touch, he’s used to fending off more players with criminal strength. Sonego can be devastating when his game is flowing, but he’s also prone to underachievement, and has generally been underperformed by managers. Should Evans come through, he would likely earn his fan-favorite US Open clash with Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in charge.
Prediction: second round
Jodie Burrage (102) v Tamara Korpatsch (81)
Korpatsch was Raducanu’s opponent here last year, and went down without much protest, although Raducanu was hampered by a sprained ankle. She is usually at her best on clay courts, while Burrage prefers the faster surfaces. On that basis, we could tip Burrage to open his first Australian Open with a win. If we are correct, however, Burrage will likely face ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova in the second round.
Prediction: second round
Jack Draper (62) v Marcos Giron (60)
These two could be closely matched on the ranking ladder but Draper is clearly undervalued at No 62, having missed the entire grass court season with a shoulder-shoulder injury. His talents were underlined by his undefeated run through the UTS Finals at the Docklands in London last month, beating notable opponents such as world No8 Holger Rune and three-time major contender Casper Ruud. Yes, we’re talking about a show, and a weird one at that. But I have yet to meet a professional athlete who enjoys losing.
Prediction: second round
