British number one Emma Raducanu admits she is wary of her Australian Open second-round opponent Anastasia Potapova on Wednesday.

Raducanu was unimpressed with the schedule for Sunday night’s opener, but on a positive note, she outlasted her opponent Thailand’s world No. 195 Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4 6-1After that, she had two days to prepare for her second-round match against Potapova.

They had not competed before, but Raducanu recognized the Russian-born Austrian’s talent early on, saying: “I remember watching Anastasia as a teenager. I was a year below her.”

“She’s always been a player to watch and beat in the juniors. She’s also ranked very high in the pros. A great hitter. I know it’s going to be a very tricky match. I need to gather my strength and be as prepared as possible.”

Also in the crowd was Raduckanu super fan James Bray, 23, who thanked him after he nicknamed her “Lado” and loudly cheered her on during the match against Savangkayo.

he told herald sun: “Her agent contacted me and I’ve got tickets for the next match, so I hope she can get to the Grand Slam final because I would love to go to Rod Laver Arena.”

Raducanu backs Draper to recover from long-term injury and emerge stronger

Fellow British No 1 Jack Draper has played just one match since Wimbledon due to bone contusion in his left arm Didn’t recover in time for the start of the season.

The 24-year-old was originally scheduled to play in the Fed Cup with Raducanu in 2026 before heading to the Australian Open, but he is scheduled to return for the Davis Cup tie against Norway next month.

Raducanu said: “I saw him throughout December and I thought he was very close to being here.

“Obviously he’s been injured for a while and it’s not easy, but I’m sure when he comes back he’ll recover and be better and stronger, like he always has been. We miss him in the Manchester United Cup squad but I really hope we can do that next year.”

Raducanu expressed sympathy for Draper, who will miss three Grand Slam tournaments in 2023, including Wimbledon, after undergoing surgery on both wrists and one ankle.

“It’s really hard,” she said. “For me, when I missed the Grand Slams, I couldn’t watch them because it was too raw, too difficult to watch.

“I’m not sure what he’s doing, but I’m finding it really difficult, so it’s not easy. But I know that doing the right things every day and trying to stay in your zone, your bubble, is the best way to get through this.”

Raducanu was ruled out of the Australian Open with a foot problem throughout pre-season, but she recovered in time and overcame a slow start to win her opening match against Savangkayo in Melbourne.

The former U.S. Open champion immediately warned against having high expectations for Draper, saying of her recovery from injury: “The hardest thing was moving, seeing the ball.

“It’s something you take for granted when you play a few games and the momentum is good, you just seem to read the ball earlier, read the game, read the situation and hit the key points better.

“When you’re not playing, you feel like you’re two steps slower, and it’s very difficult to get back that movement and anticipation.”

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