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Match details
Fixture: (17) Emma Raducanu vs Danka Kovinic.
Date: 20 January 2022.
Tournament: Australian Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 64).
Venue: Melbourne, Australia.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: $75,000,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Six, Sony Liv.
Emma Raducanu vs Danka Kovinic preview
17th seed Emma Raducanu will aim to reach the third round of the Australian Open for the first time when she squares off against World No. 98 Danka Kovinic on Thursday.
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The 19-year-old Brit continues to impress in what has been a fairytale run in Slams. Having triumphed at the US Open as a qualifier, she extended her match-winning streak in Majors to eight with a first-round win over Sloane Stephens in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The blockbuster battle between the two US Open champions was a test of patience for the young Raducanu. She stormed out of the blocks before being pegged back by Stephens in the second set. The teenager was able to successfully regroup in the decider to complete a 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 win.
The win, her very first at the Australian Open, improved Raducanu's main draw record at Majors to 11-1. The World No. 18, who made the fourth round at Wimbledon last year, is yet to open her account at Roland Garros.
Raducanu's start to the year was certainly not the best. She tested positive for COVID-19 last month, the effects of which were visible in her 0-6, 1-6 first-round drubbing at the hands of Elena Rybakina in Sydney.
But with the performance she put up at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, her fitness woes appear to be over. She would have gained plenty of confidence from the victory over a former Major winner and will be raring to go in the second round against Danka Kovinic.
Kovinic, meanwhile, has never been ranked higher than 46th in the world, which she achieved back in 2016. The Montenegrin is yet to taste a title win on the WTA tour and has never made it past the second round of any Major.
As someone who hasn't played much at the top level of the sport, she made a stunning run to the final of the WTA 500 event in Charleston in April last year. Kovinic beat the likes of Petra Kvitova and Ons Jabeur along the way. The 27-year-old followed it up with a semifinal finish at the WTA 250 event at the same venue the following week.
However, inconsistency has been a feature of her career and she hasn't been able to do much of note since.
This year, Kovinic bowed out in the first round of qualifying in Melbourne and the first round of the main draw in Adelaide before heading to the Slam.
On Tuesday, she played a 189-minute marathon to outlast South Korean qualifier Jang Su Jeong 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the first round of the Australian Open.
Emma Raducanu vs Danka Kovinic head-to-head
Raducanu and Kovinic have never squared off on the tour before, so the head-to-head is currently tied at 0-0.
Emma Raducanu vs Danka Kovinic prediction
Emma Raducanu's performance in the first round of the Australian Open was reminiscent of her brilliant run to the title in New York four months ago. She struck the ball fluidly, mixed up the pace and placement of her shots effortlessly and crushed backhands down the line to which Stephens had no answer.
Even when the American upped her game and started eking out more errors, Raducanu didn't panic. The Brit spruced up her game in the decider, cut down on the errors and secured the win.
The youngster needs to replicate that effort in her second-round clash with Kovinic. The Montenegrin has a dogged style of play and will look to chase down lots of balls and put Raducanu in a spot of bother.
It is imperative that the 19-year-old keeps the points short and as error-free as possible. If she can keep moving and attacking as well as she did against Stephens, Kovinic won't have much of a chance in this match.
Prediction: Emma Raducanu to win in straight sets.
Also check out: Complete Australian Open 2022 results
