sport news Emma Raducanu insists she 'can compete with anyone' after victory in her Centre ... trends now
View
comments
Emma Raducanu cherished her Centre Court debut as she put her troubled Wimbledon build-up behind her with a first-round victory over Alison Van Uytvanck.
The 10th seed's participation in the tournament was in doubt until the weekend because of a side strain suffered at the WTA Tour event in Nottingham three weeks ago.
Coupled with the huge attention on the US Open champion's homecoming and a tricky opponent, this was a major test, but Raducanu passed it impressively by claiming a 6-4 6-4 victory.
Emma Raducanu says she 'can compete with anyone' after her Centre Court win at Wimbledon
She jumped and yelled in delight when her final volley found the middle of the court and Raducanu was keen to stress afterwards that, while the external expectations on her shoulders extend far beyond first-round victories, this was very much an achievement to savour.
Raducanu said: 'It wasn't relief, it was just happiness. To play on Centre Court and get a win first time, it's amazing. Now every time I go back, I'm just going to have a great first experience. That always helps.
'I definitely took it in. I looked at the crowd, just saw everyone. The noise was just amazing to hear from the word go. When the crowd filled out a little bit as the match went on, even more so in the tricky moments. I think they really pulled me through some tough ones.
'It was a tricky match because
