Emma Raducanu said her comeback win over Polona Hercog at the Transylvania Open will be important for her confidence.
Raducanu became the first player to ever win a Grand Slam as a qualifier when she triumphed at the US Open last month, although things haven’t been smooth since.
She suffered a opening match exit at Indian Wells in her first tournament since Flushing Meadows, making her 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 success in Cluj all the more meaningful.
“All of the matches I’m playing, I’m just gaining in experience and I feel like that one today definitely counts a huge part to that,” she said.
“Because when you’re not playing very well, you know you can do better. I think that I learned to just try and dig in and I can turn matches around.”
On playing in Romania, the country from where her father is from, Raducanu said: “I feel extremely comfortable.
“I feel like I’m playing at home, everyone has been so friendly and welcome, I really want to stay here.
“When I was in trouble I was thinking: ‘I don’t want to leave here,’ and that helped me through it.”
Raducanu will now face Romanian Ana Bogdan on Thursday.
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