By Rory Carroll
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (Reuters) – Emma Raducanu said she drew inspiration from Andy Murray’s bruising come-from-behind victory after she dropped the second set in her match at Indian Wells on Friday.
The two British stars played back-to-back on center court, with the veteran Murray collecting his 700th career victory and the teenage U.S. Open champion winning for the first time in the Southern California desert.
“I definitely looked up to him today, especially because I was following him,” Raducanu told reporters after her 6-1 3-6 6-1 win over Caroline Garcia.
“I knew he came through some tricky moments and I was thinking of that when I dropped the second set. I was like, ‘You can do the same, just keep pushing.’
“I think it was great to follow him in the order of play today.”
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray became just the 18th player to win 700 matches on the ATP Tour with his thrilling 1-6 6-2 6-4 win over Taro Daniel before relinquishing the stage to Raducanu.
“We crossed paths when he was coming off and I was there waiting for the match,” she said.
“It’s always a weird one when you’re following someone who has just won. You’re like, I really want to do the same. It kind of gives you the extra fuel. I was really happy for him. He gave me a fist bump, it was really cool.
“I’m just really glad that level my level was good enough today.”
Raducanu said she is still adjusting to her newfound stardom after she became the first qualifier to win a major last year at Flushing Meadows.
“The weirdest thing is when someone gets so happy that I take a photo with them or say hi,” she said.
“To me I feel like that’s just normal. I don’t think that’s anything, they shouldn’t be getting happy because it’s just me.”
Murray, who has been in the limelight since reaching the top 10 in 2007, said that his six-year-old daughter is now aware that her father isn’t like the others.
“Sometimes she calls me ‘Andy Murray,’ which I find incredibly awkward,” he said to laughs reporters.
“I’m like no, I’m daddy, I’m not Andy Murray, I’m daddy.
“She does it now to wind me up, especially when she’s around her friends.”
Next up for Murray is a second round clash with Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik while Raducanu will face Croatia’s Petra Martic in the third round.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by William Mallard)
