Raducanu overpowers Zarazúa after last minute reshuffle

Emma Raducanu had to change her approach after being dragged into some uncomfortable rallies against a tricky opponent. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

Few tennis players fully understand the importance of taking advantage of opportunities like Emma Raducanu. Her transcendent 2021 US Open triumph, after all, was an exercise in spectacularly rising to the occasion as various factors fell in her favour. Her life has never been the same since.

With the last-minute withdrawal of her scheduled first-round opponent, the 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, the opening day of her third Wimbledon potentially presented another. Raducanu walked on to Centre Court as the heavy favourite in her opening match, rather than the underdog, and although she struggled with the weight that comes with those expectations early on, the 21-year-old held firm to reach the second round of Wimbledon with a tough 7-6 (0), 6-3 win against the lucky loser Renata Zarazúa.

Until Monday morning, Raducanu had been part of one of the most interesting first-round match-ups alongside Alexandrova, a formidable opponent who thrives on grass. But hours before the match was due to begin, the Russian withdrew with illness. She was replaced by Zarazúa, a resourceful but extremely underpowered 26-year-old Mexican player who had lost a tight three-set match in the final round of qualifying.

Standing at just 1.60 metres (5ft 3in), Zarazúa has had to figure out different ways to win tennis matches against the countless taller, stronger opponents she encounters. From the beginning of the match, she showed how difficult she can be to play by dragging Raducanu into protracted exchanges with her movement and shot discipline while also mixing up the pace and trajectory of her shots.

Having been ready for a match-up against a powerful, flat-hitting ball striker, Raducanu was suddenly by far the stronger player and she was charged with dictating the vast majority of rallies and trying to keep them short. The 21-year-old prefers to redirect pace rather than constantly generate her own, and she struggled in the early exchanges. She simply could not hit through Zarazúa, whose steady helping of slices and drop shots pulled Raducanu into the forecourt and other uncomfortable positions around the court.

Even though Raducanu broke serve first to establish a 4-2 lead, for much of the opening set she could not shake off her tension. Among numerous issues, Raducanu struggled badly with her return of serve, usually one of her biggest weapons, and put so little pressure on Zarazúa’s extremely fragile serve. But Raducanu held on until the tiebreak, serving well when necessary, and with the set on the line, she was animated and energised as she forced herself inside the baseline and dictated play.

Having secured the opening set, Raducanu gradually opened up her shoulders, finally pressuring the Mexican’s serve as she took the only break of the second set at 4-2 with some forceful returning before holding on to close out an important win.

A year after missing out on Wimbledon and eight months of play after undergoing surgeries on her wrists and ankle, Raducanu has returned to the All England Club victorious. By holding her nerve, she has also essentially taken the 22nd seed’s place in the draw and she will next face Elise Mertens, who reached the second round earlier with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win against Nao Hibino.