Raducanu's tears of joy, Krejcikova survives match points at Eastbourne
EASTBOURNE: Emma Raducanu held back tears after sealing her place in the second round of the Eastbourne Open, while Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova survived match points to progress on Tuesday.
Raducanu fought back from losing the opening set to American Ann Li to win 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 6-1 after nearly two-and-a-half hours on court.
"It feels incredible. I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments," the former US Open champion said in her on-court interview.
"It really meant a lot to me and I'm really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set. I'm very, very happy to come through that.
"It was tough, it was up and down, but from the middle of the second set I think I found another gear and a another level."
Raducanu missed last week's Berlin Open due to a back problem she has been nursing since before the French Open.
But, aside from a slip and fall on the grass in set one, she appeared to come through her opening examination on England's south coast unscathed.
Raducanu next faces Australian teenager Maya Joint, who knocked out two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur on Monday.
Kreickova crashed out in the first round at Queen's two weeks ago on her return to the grass for the first time since her triumph at the All England Club last year.
Britain's Harriet Dart had two match points on her own serve to secure arguably the biggest win of her career in the third set before the Czech fought back for a 6-3 6-7 (4/7) 7-5 victory.
Kreickova will face another Brit in round two following Jodie Burrage's 6-3 6-2 win over Japan's Moyuka Uchijima.
Third seed Jelena Ostapenko had an easier passage to round two with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) win over Sonay Kartal.
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