Emma Raducanu off to winning start at Indian Wells Masters

Emma Raducanu began her Indian Wells Masters campaign with a bang as she eased past Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova in Thursday's first-round battle.

The 2021 US Open champion strolled to a 6-2 6-3 victory in one hour and 45 minutes to reach the second stage, where Ukrainian 30th seed Dayana Yastremska lies in wait.

Raducanu - whose fourth-round exit at the 2023 Indian Wells event represented her best tournament run of that injury-hit season - posted eight double faults on the day but displayed tremendous defensive work, saving eight of the 10 break points that Masarova managed to fashion.

"It was super important for me to get through that," the Briton said after the match. "It's one of the trickiest tournaments conditions-wise to play in because it varies so much. I dealt with that really well and overcame a really tough opponent."

Raducanu won the first three games of the match with an immediate double break before falling 40-0 down while serving for the set in the eighth game, but she saved all three break points and a fourth before taking the opener.

In identical fashion to the first set, Raducanu broke twice at the start of the third before Masarova earned one break back at 3-1, but she was subsequently stifled by the wild card, who advanced on her fourth match point.

Should Raducanu see off Yastremska in round two, the 21-year-old could be on a collision course to face Aryna Sabalenka - who will meet either Peyton Stearns or Elisabetta Cocciaretto in her opening clash - in the third round.