Emma Raducanu came through a tough match against Renata Zarazua
By Stuart Ballard
Published: 01/07/2024
Updated: 01/07/2024
Emma Raducanu had to dig deep to defeat Renata Zarazua in her opening match at Wimbledon.
Thomas Markle makes new effort to reunite with Meghan in tell-all interview
Emma Raducanu given huge wake-up call in shaky Wimbledon first-round win
Why Nigel Farage will be a winner from the Right's massive victory in FranceKelvin MacKenzie
Harry suffers fresh blow as petition launched to stop royal from receiving award
Lineker sticks knife into England again and reveals Shearer 'left the room' during Slovakia win
Driving licence changes could see motorists banned from carrying passengers
BBC Glastonbury viewers ask 'is she OK?' as Shania Twain sparks concern during Legend slot
Kate and William set to miss out on upgrade as King forges new plan
‘I lost more than 5st at 45 after ditching a common diet trap many people fall into’
Trending on GB News
William's appearance in Germany in doubt as Kate to remain at home
Emma Raducanu had David Beckham smiling in the royal box when she compared her first-round Wimbledon win to England's dramatic victory over Slovakia in Euro 2024.
The 2021 US Open champion was originally set to face Ekaterina Alexandrova, but the No 22 seed withdrew a few hours before their scheduled match.
Lucky loser Renata Zarazua was bumped up to face Raducanu on Centre Court in a match that was seen as a huge opportunity for the British star to put down a marker.
It was anything but in the first set as Raducanu struggled to break down a resolute Zarazua, who was competing in the main draw of Wimbledon for the first time in her career.
Raducanu stepped up when it mattered most with an all-important display in the first set tiebreak.
And she eventually got the job done in the second to progress to the next round.
The 21-year-old was beaming from ear-to-ear after the match as she had her on-court interview and compared her victory to the one England 24 hours ago against Slovakia.
"I'm incredibly happy to be back here," she said.
"I was for sure nervous. I think everyone could see that in my tennis a little bit.
"At the end of the day, you have to do what it takes to get over the line.
"Honestly watching the football last night, it was like winning uglyit all counts!"
The Centre Court crowd lapped up Raducanu's remark with England hero Beckham joining in the laughter in the royal box.
Gareth Southgate's side were on the verge of being knocked out of the Euros on Sunday before Jude Bellingham popped up with a bicycle kick just seconds before the final whistle to force extra time.
Harry Kane then scored immediately after the restart as England held on to stay in the competition for another week.
Raducanu will be hoping she's also still at Wimbledon by the time England face Switzerland in the quarter-finals this weekend.
LATEST SPORT NEWS:
She faces Elise Mertens in the next round, which will be scheduled to be played on Wednesday.
"It's incredible," Raducanu said of the atmosphere at Wimbledon.
"It's such a great buzz in the summer time, although today's a little bit cloudy.
"I think the tennis, the football, the Formula One and everything, it just uplifts myself included.
"It's such an amazing atmosphere to be a part of and honestly, my motivation is to keep coming back here and keep playing to feel that buzz."
