Emotional Emma Raducanu battles back to beat Ann Li and progress at Eastbourne

An emotional Emma Raducanu produced an impressive fightback to reach the second round at Eastbourne and keep her Wimbledon preparations on track.

British number one Raducanu trailed American Ann Li by a set and a break in difficult conditions on the south coast.

But the 22-year-old wrestled control of a topsy-turvy second set before finishing strongly to clinch a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1 victory.

Raducanu, who held back tears after securing victory, will meet Australian teenager Maya Joint for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview.

“It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.

“It was tough, it was up and down. But from the middle of the second set I think I found another gear and another level.”