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Emma Raducanu made a winning start to 2023 with victory over teenager Linda Fruhvirtova in her opening match at the ASB Classic in Auckland.<\/span><\/p>\n The Briton, 20, came through 4-6 6-4 6-2 against the 17-year-old Czech rising star in a rain-affected match.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, was a set and a break down against an opponent ranked one place lower than her in the world at 79th.<\/span><\/p>\n But she won four games on the trot to change the momentum and win the match.<\/span><\/p>\n “I was like, you need to stop this and just pick it up, like be more aggressive and swing more freely,” said Raducanu about her change in fortunes.<\/span><\/p>\n “It’s always difficult playing your first match of the year, so it was always going to be a little bit of a challenge, especially with the conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n “I was loving the support. I felt like everyone was behind me and I absolutely loved it. Some moments it was tricky in the score and I would hear a young kid say ‘Come on Emma’ and I was like, ‘come on, let’s go’.” <\/span><\/p>\n She ended her 2022 campaign in early October with a wrist injury and took a short break to spend time with friends and family before starting a two-month block of fitness training. <\/span><\/p>\n Raducanu will next face Slovak Viktoria Kuzmova, the world number 105.<\/span><\/p>\n Top-seeded American <\/span>Coco Gauff<\/strong> marched into the last 16, beating Germany’s Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-1 to end a five-match losing streak.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Adelaide, Chinese qualifier <\/span>Zheng Qinwen <\/strong>caused a shock with a win over Estonian former world number two Anett Kontaveit.<\/span><\/p>\n Zheng, the 2022 WTA Newcomer of the Year, saved a match point in the final set before winning 6-1 4-6 7-6 (9-7).<\/span><\/p>\n She will next face former world number one and two-time Australian Open champion <\/span>Victoria Azarenka<\/strong> of Belarus who recovered from 5-1 down in the first set to defeat Ukraine’s Anhelina Kalinina 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (7-5) <\/span><\/p>\n