Raducanu enjoys winning Grand Slam return

Emma Raducanu spoke of finally being pain free as she began her Australian Open campaign with an impressive 6-3 6-2 defeat of American Shelby Rogers on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Briton won the 2021 US Open in stunning fashion as a qualifier but struggled for form in 2022 and suffered an injury-ravaged 2023 in which she was sidelined since April.

A year ago in Melbourne she managed to win a round just weeks after surgery to have a cyst removed from her knee and later in the year needed a wrist operation.

But the way she moved around the court and struck the ball against Rogers, augurs well for a rapid climb back up the rankings from her current 296.

"(Last year) I travelled here on a wheelchair," she told reporters. "I only started hitting three days before the match. That whole process was a lot of stress. We weren't sure if I was going to be able to play here.

"I think this year and now there's just a lot more calm. It's amazing to be pain-free with the wrists. I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get to this stage.

"I had pain for so long. I was playing since before the U.S. swing in 2022 all the way before surgery. It was difficult because I wasn't able to train, I wasn't able to practice."

Elsewhere, Poland's world number one Iga Swiatek came through an opening test of fire in her hunt for a first Australian Open title as she twice fought back from a break down to beat Sofia Kenin 7-6(2) 6-2.

"It wasn't the easiest first round," said Swiatek, who is now on a 17-match winning run after triumphs in Beijing and the WTA Finals last year as well as her United Cup heroics where she won five successive singles matches.