Under the challenging gusts of a brisk wind in the Californian desert, Emma Raducanu appeared quite uneasy, while her opponent, Uchijima, seemed to adapt with remarkable ease. The former US Open champion from 2021 found herself making numerous mistakes, which Uchijima deftly exploited. Known for her tenacity, Uchijima managed to keep the ball in play, often winning the rather scrappy exchanges.
Throughout her first six service games, Raducanu encountered break points, a testament to the pressure resulting from her pursuit of aggressive play that lacked precision. Five times she handed over her serve, trailing behind Uchijima, who ranked 52nd, by a set and a break. Battling hard, Raducanu appeared subdued, especially after missing three chances to break back and level the score at 3-3. Uchijima held her ground, and Raducanu, unable to recover, left the court in disappointment after suffering her sixth loss out of nine matches this year.
In the stands, her newly appointed Slovakian coach, Vladimir Platenik, watched closely. Currently working with Raducanu on a trial period, Platenik brings with him experience coaching high-caliber talents like Dominika Cibulkova, Daria Kasatkina, and Veronika Kudermetova. He was also present when a New Zealand qualifier he coached, Lulu Sun, defeated Raducanu at Wimbledon last year.
Raducanu, when asked about areas for improvement with Platenik, humorously remarked that everything needed work. “Starting the point is crucial in tennis, and that’s one area I need to enhance,” she mentioned. “Being more aggressive and improving the quality of my shots as I move forward is another focal point.”
Meanwhile, British number three Sonay Kartal progressed to the second round. After benefiting from a ‘lucky loser’ spot, having been defeated in the qualifiers, Kartal won her match against the seasoned American qualifier Varvara Lepchenko, who is 38. Next, she’ll be facing the Brazilian 16th seed, Beatriz Haddad Maia.
On the men’s side, Jacob Fearnley couldn’t quite manage to set up an all-British showdown with Jack Draper, as he fell to the promising star Joao Fonseca.
