[ad_1]
Emma Raducanu made a winning start to 2023 with victory over teenager Linda Fruhvirtova in her opening match at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
The Briton, 20, came through 4-6 6-4 6-2 against the 17-year-old Czech rising star in a rain-affected match.
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.
But she won four games on the trot to change the momentum and win the match.
Raducanu will next face Slovak Viktoria Kuzmova, the world number 105.
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.
Meanwhile, in Adelaide, Chinese qualifier Zheng Qinwen caused a shock with a win over Estonian former world number two Anett Kontaveit.
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).
