Emma Raducanu: Briton breezes past Angelique Kerber in Stuttgart Open first round

Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her revival in form with a straight-set win over Angelique Kerber in the Stuttgart Open first round.

Raducanu was rarely troubled by the former world number one and wrapped up a 6-1 6-2 win in one hour 26 minutes.

It was the 21-year-old’s third win in a week after she won both her matches to help Britain beat France in the Billie Jean King Cup at the weekend.

Raducanu will play Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic in next round.

“It was very difficult to play Angie because she has so much history behind her,” said Raducanu. “You are not just playing Angelique Kerber, you are playing the person who has achieved all those amazing results.

“It wasn’t the prettiest but I just focused on the next point and did not get too bogged down. So I’m happy to have got through that.”

Both players entered the tournament as wildcards, with Raducanu dropping to 303 in the world after having surgery on both wrists last year.

Three-time major winner Kerber meanwhile only returned to the tour in December after 18 months out following the birth of her first child.

Raducanu broke serve three times in a dominant first set, taking it 6-2 in just 41 minutes, before breaking in the first game of the second.

Kerber, 36, was able to break back immediately but then began to tire and an increasingly confident Raducanu was able to reel off four consecutive games to seal victory.