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Emma Raducanu vs Moyuka Uchijima LIVE: Latest score and updates from first round clash at Indian Wells
The 22-year-old played her first match since distressing incident with ‘fixated man’ in Dubai
Emma Raducanu’s return to court ended in defeat as she was beaten in straight sets by Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Raducanu, who was playing in her first tournament since being accosted on court by a ‘fixated man’ in Dubai started strongly and broke Uchijima’s serve in the first game before opening up a 2-0 lead.
The Japanese then mastered the windy and hot conditions to rattle off four games in a row and eventually claim the first set 6-3.
The second set opened in similar fashion but it was Raducanu who was broken in the first game and from there she was on the backfoot. The Brit found it tough to truly challenge Uchijima’s serve and her accuracy was slightly off meaning she racked up a lot on unforced errors.
Uchijima remained composed. She held her serve and won crucial points to inch slowly towards victory before ending the match with a hold to love for a 6-3 6-2 victory.
The USA’s Coco Gauff waits for Uchijima in the next round while Raducanu will head to the training courts to prepare for the Miami Open.
Relive the updates from Indian Wells:
How to watch Indian Wells
The tournament is being shown live on Sky Sports Tennis. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
Jacob Fearnley vs Joao Fonseca
The first match on Court 1 has finished with Joao Fonseca beating Britain’s Jacob Fearnley 6-2 1-6 6-3.
Emma Raducanu is up next and should be heading to court shortly.
When is Emma Raducanu playing?
Emma Raducanu is scheduled to play second on Stadium 1.
The first match of the day, between fellow Briton Jacob Fearnley and Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, is set for 11am PT (7pm GMT), and Raducanu v Uchijima will not begin before 1pm PT (9pm GMT).
Emma Raducanu vs Moyuka Uchijima
Emma Raducanu returns to action at Indian Wells and takes on Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of the prestigious tournament in California.
Raducanu will be playing for the first time since her ordeal in Dubai last month, where the 22-year-old faced an approach from a “fixated man” in the crowd as she took on Karolina Muchova.
Raducanu was shaken by the incident but has decided to return for the start of the “sunshine double” at Indian Wells, which is then followed by the Miami Open later in the month.
The winner of the match between Raducanu and Uchijima, ranked 52 in the world, will face world No 3 Coco Gauff in the second round, with the American receiving a bye.
Raducanu won her only previous meeting with Uchijima, which came in Seoul in 2022.
Good evening!
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s tennis action as Emma Raducanu begins here Indian Wells campaign.
She’s up second on Court 1 and follows fellow Brit Jacob Fearnley who is locked in a decisive third set against Brazil’s Joao Fonseca.
We’ll have all the coverage of Raducanu’s match throughout the night so stick around to see if she can reach the second round.
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