London, June 9 (IANS) Emma Raducanu made a triumphant return to winning ways as the British No. 1 swept past Anna Blinkova 6-0, 6-3 in the opening round at Queen’s Club on Tuesday, earning her first victory in more than three months and boosting her Wimbledon preparations.

Playing her first grass-court match of the season, Raducanu looked sharp from the start. She raced through the opening eight games without losing a point. She then comfortably finished the match against the Russian qualifier. The victory marked her first win since beating Anastasia Zakharova in the opening round at Indian Wells on March 6.

The 23-year-old’s campaign faced a setback due to a post-viral illness that kept her off the WTA Tour for over two months. Upon her return, she suffered first-round losses in Strasbourg and at the French Open. This made her strong performance in London even more encouraging.

Supported by a lively home crowd, Raducanu seemed relaxed and confident throughout the match. She showed little sign of the difficulties that had affected her recent season, reports Xinhua.

“I’m so happy to have come through that match. To be back here playing at Queen’s, I haven’t won a match in a few months, and there isn’t a place I would rather have done it,” Raducanu said after the win. “I’m really grateful for all the support.”

The former US Open champion hopes this convincing victory will give her momentum heading into Wimbledon. The grass-court swing offers a chance for her to find her best form after a tough few months on tour.

Raducanu later described the performance as an important step in her preparations for the year’s third Grand Slam. She expressed hope that the result would be “a really good stepping stone” for the rest of the grass-court season.

–IANS

hs/bsk/