Emma Raducanu vs Sayaka Ishii LIVE: Miami Open result and reaction
Emma Raducanu enjoyed a dream start to her Miami Open with a composed 6-2, 6-1 win over Japanese wildcard Sayaka Ishii.
The British No 2 lost in the first round of Indian Wells earlier this month in her first match since a traumatic incident dealing with a stalker at a tournament in Dubai, who had followed her to three events across the Asian hard-court swing.
She fell to a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Moyuka Uchijima and said she would aim to “improve everything” ahead of her appearance in Miami, which forms the second half of the ‘Sunshine Double’ of combined ATP and WTA 1000 tournaments along with Indian Wells.
And improve everything she did, producing a brilliant serving performance and staying firmly in control of the match despite a wobble against Ishii in the early stages of the first set. Ishii, who is ranked 188th in the world, was let down by a litany of unforced errors and struggled to find consistency, although her powerful ball-striking occasionally troubled Raducanu in the first set.
The Brit moved up a gear however and steamrolled through the second to set up a stern second-round test against American 10th seed Emma Navarro.
Relive all the action with The Independent’s liveblog:
Emma Raducanu v Sayaka Ishii LIVE
- Raducanu opens Miami Open campaign after first-round exit at Indian Wells
- Emma Raducanu faces Sayaka Ishii in Miami Open | Live on Sky Tennis
- Winner to face American 10th seed Emma Navarro in second round
- Emma Raducanu breaks at the first time of asking against Sayaka Ishii
- Emma Raducanu takes the first set, 6-2
- A fine display by Raducanu sees her move into the second round, 6-2, 6-1
'Bringing some energy' the objective for Raducanu today
17:25 , Flo CliffordMore from Raducanu as she chats to ex-pro and now Sky Sports pundit Laura Robson courtside.
“I think I was just so focused on every point and trying to compete, that was my main objective today, bringing some energy, bringing some competitiveness,” she tells Robson. “I think that’s been missing the last couple of months so I’m proud of that.
“Especially today, my opponent, she loves big ball-striking, so that wouldn’t have been the best way to play her. I got some success early on with [the slice], I’m pretty happy with how I played the match tactically.
“I think it is deceiving how hard she hits the backhand especially, she can do a lot with the ball, a lot of variety. I think in a way we’re similar in terms of our build and our game. [It’s] one that I don’t have pressure on.
“Go Boults!” she adds, with Katie Boulter set to take on American Peyton Stearns later today.
'It hasn't been easy for me coming into this' - Raducanu speaks to Sky Sports
17:24 , Flo Clifford“I’m very pleased to have got through that, it’s not an easy first round, playing someone a bit younger, dangerous and in good form,” she tells Sky Sports. “It hasn’t been easy for me coming into this but I think I put out a good performance.
On her second round against Emma Navarro, she says, “It’s going to be an extremely challenging match, she’s probably in better form so I think I can just go out, try and express myself and compete for every point.
“It’s really nice [in Miami], I haven’t won a match yet here in my professional career but I have great memories from playing junior Orange Bowl. It’s a little bit different now!”
Emma Raducanu beats Sayaka Ishii 6-2, 6-1
17:20 , Flo Clifford“Keep keeping on”, a smiling Raducanu writes on the lens in the now-traditional sign-off at the end of a match.
It’s a muted celebration as she waves to the crowd, and she may have half an eye on her second-round match: a tough test against eighth seed and in-form American, Emma Navarro.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! *Emma Raducanu 6-2, 6-1 Sayaka Ishii
17:16 , Flo CliffordJust as I say how great Raducanu’s serve has been, her first serve disappears in this game.
But no matter, as another Ishii error - how else - brings an end to this match, with the wildcard firing long.
A solid, composed performance by Raducanu.
MATCH POINT! *Emma Raducanu 6-2, 5-1 Sayaka Ishii
17:15 , Flo CliffordAnother thumping unreturnable serve by Raducanu and Ishii can only net. The Brit’s serve has been pretty immaculate in this match.
But she puts a fraction too much on the ball in the next rally and leaves the door open for Ishii, 15-30.
Ishii has a golden opportunity for break point but sends a forehand down into the net and looks visibly peeved, rolling her eyes at herself. A second serve return is even worse, launched way beyond the baseline, and Raducanu has match point.
Emma Raducanu 6-2, 5-1 Sayaka Ishii*
17:11 , Flo CliffordRaducanu nets to give Ishii game point and then whacks a down-the-line return on a second serve just long to allow the 19-year-old on the board in this second set.
Ishii serves to stay in the match
17:09 , Flo CliffordIshii is yet to get on the board in this set but things look more promising as she gets to 30-15.
But Raducanu is fully in control of the next point, pushing Ishii out wide and redirecting the ball smartly into the opposite corner for 30-30.
Ishii has a chance to avoid a bagel but can’t get the right angle on a difficult Raducanu slice, hitting tamely into the net for deuce.
*Emma Raducanu 6-2, 5-0 Sayaka Ishii
17:04 , Flo CliffordIshii smacks a ball in frustration as she goes 30-0 down. Raducanu by contrast looks entirely composed and fires down another ace.
She follows it up with a double fault and then goes long for 40-30, but another unreturnable serve swiftly gets her out of trouble.
Nine games in a row for Raducanu.
Emma Raducanu 6-2, 4-0 Sayaka Ishii*
17:00 , Flo CliffordBetter from Ishii as she forces the error from Raducanu, outlasting her in a longer rally.
Another wild, looping backhand from Raducanu and she opens the door for Ishii to get on the board in this set.
But the Japanese player has no luck, spraying another three balls wide for 30-40, and is staring down the barrel of a double break. Long again from Ishii and from 30-0 up, she’s now down 4-0 in this set.
*Emma Raducanu 6-2, 3-0 Sayaka Ishii
16:54 , Flo CliffordRaducanu is in full flow now, sending Ishii scrambling all over the court and finishing off a point with a neat volley with her opponent marooned at the baseline.
She’s rapidly 40-0 up and another unforced error by Ishii means she’s got a mountain to climb from here.
BREAK! Emma Raducanu 6-2, 2-0 Sayaka Ishii*
16:52 , Flo CliffordA double fault by Ishii is a less than ideal start, but Raducanu makes a mess of a drop shot on the next rally to ease the pressure on her opponent.
Raducanu finds a way to return a booming serve and it just kisses the sideline! Deserved fist pump for that.
Ishii rushes a down-the-line shot and it’s miles wide to gift Raducanu a first break point in this set, 30-40. A brilliant second serve return and she’s a break up!
“Let’s go again, second serve, body backhand,” come the instructions from Jane O’Donoghue in Raducanu’s box.
*Emma Raducanu 6-2, 1-0 Sayaka Ishii
16:47 , Flo CliffordA lovely ace from Raducanu to start the second set as she means to go on.
Ishii has a chance with a second serve but can only slam it into the net, and produces an error on the next rally too.
Another tidy ace from the Brit to wrap up a very controlled service game.
Emma Raducanu 6-2 Sayaka Ishii
16:43 , Flo CliffordAfter a couple of tricky games where Ishii really found her range - and some devastating groundstrokes - Raducanu just moved up a gear, looking really solid defensively and behind serve. A tidy opener for the Brit.
Ishii has the physio on court very briefly - but it’s just to snip off a hangnail, no dramas.
FIRST SET! Emma Raducanu 6-2 Sayaka Ishii*
16:42 , Flo CliffordIshii falls 0-30 down but quickly gets back to 30-30 courtesy of a couple of Raducanu errors, with two returns drifting long.
A bullet of a backhand gets Ishii scrambling and the 19-year-old can only force her reply into the net. Set point Raducanu.
Ishii fires long and the Brit takes the opener!
*Emma Raducanu 5-2 Sayaka Ishii
16:37 , Flo CliffordI’m wondering if the glare of the Florida sun on court is causing either of the players problems. Around a third of the court is in the shade now but the rest looks pretty blinding.
Ishii is swinging with wild abandon now and the errors are racking up. She looks a little more deflated after a strong couple of games earlier in the set.
Raducanu moves 5-2 up with a great, aggressive serve out wide, planting her next shot in the wide open space behind Ishii as she runs back into the centre of the court.
BREAK! Emma Raducanu 4-2 Sayaka Ishii*
16:33 , Flo CliffordIshii has Raducanu on the defensive but sends a return long as she puts just a little too much on a forehand.
A fist pump from Raducanu after a sweet down-the-line winner to go 0-40 up, and the Brit gets the break!
*Emma Raducanu 3-2 Sayaka Ishii
16:29 , Flo CliffordA fabulous ace gives Raducanu game point in a much more comfortable service game.
Ishii fires back a stunning second serve return, however, which looks to catch Raducanu by surprise.
But she digs herself out of trouble to stay ahead.
Emma Raducanu 2-2 Sayaka Ishii*
16:25 , Flo CliffordSo far Ishii is looking perfectly at home - but she nets to allow Raducanu back into the game at 30-30.
The power coming from the 19-year-old’s racquet is superb at times - as she demonstrates with a neat forehand into the corner - but can also be very erratic.
Raducanu fires wide and we’re level once more.
BREAK BACK! *Emma Raducanu 2-1 Sayaka Ishii
16:21 , Flo CliffordIshii has the chance to break back immediately as a couple of sloppy errors see Raducanu go 40-0 down.
A fabulous tight-angled shot at the net by the Japanese wildcard and it’s back on serve!
BREAK! Emma Raducanu 2-0 Sayaka Ishii*
16:19 , Flo CliffordIshii shakes out her wrist and gives a rueful shake of the head as a ball flies wildly off her strings.
She puts a little too much power behind the ball to go 15-30 down, but has more success with a couple of sharp forehands.
Raducanu plays a great return, deftly dropping the ball over the net, and Ishii gets her next stroke all wrong, but saves an early break point chance with a cross-court forehand. She isn’t looking nervous out here but another wildly long forehand gives Raducanu a second look at break point, and another error hands over the break.
*Emma Raducanu 1-0 Sayaka Ishii
16:14 , Flo CliffordWe get underway with a couple of short, sharp rallies, with Ishii winning the first point but Raducanu not looking too troubled on serve.
A great serve out wide follows, with Ishii forced too far out wide to make the next ball.
Ishii sends a second serve return long, and at 40-15 up Raducanu lands a smart first serve which her wildcard opponent can only fire wide. Raducanu is on the board.
Emma Raducanu vs Sayaka Ishii
16:10 , Flo CliffordThe players are warming up as we get ready to start. Ishii won the toss and elected to receive.
Conditions look good so far: it’s bright and sunny and the wind shouldn’t be too much of a factor, unlike in Indian Wells.
'I know how much he deserves it' - Raducanu praises Draper for first ATP 1000 title
16:08 , Flo CliffordSpeaking to Sky Sports earlier in the week, Raducanu suggested that the conditions in Miami should suit her better than in Indian Wells, where she exited in the first round.
“I struggled in Indian Wells, it was very windy the day I played, so I found it hard to hit clean,” she said.
“I’ve been practicing in the wind a bit more. I’ve just been here, adapting to the conditions. All of us have to deal with the same thing, I think certain periods of the year suit certain players better than others [because of the conditions]. It’s hard with the balls, especially for wrists and shoulders, but we can’t really do anything about it.”
She also had a word to say about Jack Draper, who just picked up the biggest title of his career so far in Indian Wells.
“I’m so happy for him, we grew up together and I know how much work he’s put in and how much he deserves it.”
Emma Raducanu vs Sayaka Ishii
16:05 , Flo CliffordThe players are walking out into the Hard Rock Stadium.
It’s the first match of the day on the main stadium court, and there’s a big smile on the face of Emma Raducanu as she takes in a smattering of applause from a very sparse crowd. It should fill up as the match progresses.
Today's match
15:45 , Flo CliffordNow ranked 60th in the world, Raducanu - who has never won a main-draw match in Miami - will take on Japanese wildcard Sayaka Ishii for a place in the second round.
The 19-year-old is ranked 188th and only made her main-draw debut on the WTA Tour last summer. She largely competes on the second-tier ITF circuit, with her best result at WTA level coming at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last October, where she reached the quarter-finals but retired.
Whoever wins today’s encounter will meet American eighth seed and world No 8 Emma Navarro in the second round.
Emma Raducanu moves on from Dubai incident but looks to improve ‘everything’ in her game
15:30 , Flo CliffordEmma Raducanu said she “did not feel anxious” on the court as she returned to action for the first time since dealing with a stalker at the Dubai Open last month.
The 22-year-old was beaten in straight sets by Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the first round of Indian Wells amid extra security in California.
The former US Open champion reported unwanted attention from a “fixated” man last month in Dubai, who then turned up on court during her match against Karolina Muchova.
Raducanu has looked to move on from the incident and said will look to improve “everything” about her game following a 6-3 6-2 defeat to Uchijima in blustery conditions.
Emma Raducanu moves on from Dubai incident but looks to improve ‘everything’
More British success in Miami?
15:20 , Flo CliffordThe Miami Open is the second half of the prestigious ‘Sunshine Double’, a pair of hard-court tournaments which are combined ATP Masters and WTA 1000 events.
The first, held in Indian Wells, California, finished on Sunday and was won by none other than British No 1 Jack Draper, while teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva continued her stunning rise to the top with victory in the women’s event.
Draper will be in action this week, eyeing the rare feat of winning the two tournaments back-to-back, while Brits Cam Norrie, Katie Boulter, and Emma Raducanu are all in the main draw. Jacob Fearnley and Billy Harris both made it through two rounds of qualifying to join them.
Jack Draper eyes rare ‘Sunshine Double’ in Miami but familiar challenge awaits
How to watch
15:10 , Flo CliffordRaducanu v Ishii is the first match on today’s schedule for the Hard Rock Stadium court, with play starting around 4pm UK time.
The tournament is being shown live on Sky Sports Tennis. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
Good afternoon
15:00 , Flo CliffordWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of this first-round match at the Miami Open.
Emma Raducanu is scheduled first on the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with play to start at 4pm UK time, against Japanese wildcard Sayaka Ishii.
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