Melbourne, Jan 18 : Emma Raducanu shook off an unsteady opening to assert her authority in the first round of the Australian Open, powering past Thailandâ??s Mananchaya Sawangkaew with a 6-4, 6-1 victory and extending her flawless record in Melbourne openers.

The British No.1, seeded 28th, was made to work early by the World No.196, who played with freedom and precision in her Grand Slam debut. Sawangkaew struck the ball cleanly from the outset, repeatedly finding the baseline and unsettling Raducanu with depth and pace. An early break put the underdog 3-1 ahead, exposing some early nerves in Raducanuâ??s service games.

For a stretch, Sawangkaew looked anything but overawed by the occasion. She served confidently, stepped inside the court at every opportunity, and forced Raducanu to defend under sustained pressure. The former US Open champion was twice pushed to a break point as the set wore on, but crucially held firm to stay in touch.

That resistance proved the turning point. From 4-3 down, Raducanu raised her intensity, finding greater penetration off both wings and pinning her opponent deeper behind the baseline.

A timely break brought the set back on serve before Raducanu surged ahead, closing out the opener with a second break after Sawangkaewâ??s first-serve accuracy dipped.

Momentum swung decisively at the start of the second set. Sawangkaewâ??s earlier fluency gave way to a string of forehand errors as Raducanu dictated rallies with increasing confidence.

Apart from a brief interruption following a disagreement with the chair umpire, the Brit was largely untroubled as she reeled off seven consecutive games to establish a commanding 3-0 lead.

With the pressure lifted, Raducanu played with freedom and authority, her aggression matched by visible emotion on court. Her coaching team, led by Francisco Roig, echoed her celebrations from the stands as she continued to stretch her opponent across the baseline and close in on victory.

After sealing the win, Raducanu was quick to acknowledge the challenge posed by her opponent. â??She played at a really high level and hit the ball extremely well. Iâ??m very happy with how I managed to turn it around,â?? Raducanu told reporters after the win.

Raducanu moves into the second round with confidence restored, having weathered an early test before delivering a statement finish under the Melbourne sun.

/IANS