Emotional Raducanu battles into Eastbourne second round

Emma Raducanu said her affectional guidance to her first-round comeback triumph astatine Eastbourne was because she received "some really bad news" earlier nan match.

British number 1 Raducanu wrested power of a topsy-turvy 2nd group against Ann Li earlier finishing powerfully to triumph 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1.

The 22-year-old, who had trailed nan American by a group and a break, held backmost tears aft securing victory.

Coach Mark Petchey and Raducanu's Billie Jean King Cup team-mate Fran Jones were courtside for nan match.

"I'd for illustration to not spell successful to it, if that's OK, but I conscionable received immoderate really bad news truthful I'm trying to flooded that successful nan background," Raducanu told BBC Sport.

"Mentally, successful nan first set, I wasn't really present. Fran Jones was location for maine because she's a bully friend of mine, truthful she knows what's going connected down nan scenes.

"Having her support maine was truthful meaningful."

Having still managed to support her Wimbledon preparations connected track, Raducanu will meet Australian teen Maya Joint for a spot successful nan quarter-finals connected Wednesday.

Speaking successful her on-court interview, Raducanu said: "I want to convey nan crowd for getting maine done immoderate really sticky moments.

"It really meant a batch to maine and I'm really proud of really I fought backmost aft losing nan first set.

"It was tough, it was up and down. But from nan mediate of nan 2nd group I deliberation I recovered different cogwheel and different level."

World number 38 Raducanu is building towards her 4th Wimbledon appearance, wherever she has doubly reached nan 4th information since her debut successful 2021.

A tally to nan quarter-finals astatine Queen's was capable to spot nan 2021 US Open champion regain nan British number 1 title for nan first clip successful 2 years this month.

But Raducanu missed past week's Berlin Open arsenic she continues to negociate a backmost rumor - and, a fortnight connected from Queen's, she was fixed a stern trial by 64th-ranked Li amid difficult, blustery conditions connected nan southbound coast.

Despite recovering from a 3-0 shortage successful nan first set, Raducanu fell short successful a tie-break which she had led 5-3 and had to agelong retired her limb aft slipping astatine nan backmost of tribunal successful nan 11th game.

Li, 24, appeared to person maintained her momentum erstwhile she secured an contiguous break of service astatine nan commencement of group two, only to gift her force nan inaugural successful nan adjacent game.

An unpredictable group continued as, having saved 4 break points, Raducanu took her opportunity to move 4-2 up - and past restored her advantage astatine 5-3 pursuing different speech of breaks.

That proved nan catalyst for Raducanu's fantabulous decorativeness to nan match, winning 10 of nan past 12 games to rustle her force distant and complete triumph successful 2 hours and 18 minutes.

Raducanu will play Joint arsenic nan countdown to Wimbledon - which originates connected 30 June - continues.