Tennis-Raducanu battles past Hercog to secure first WTA Tour victory

Tennis - WTA 250 - Transylvania Open - BTArena, Cluj-Napoca, Romania - October 26, 2021 Britain's Emma Raducanu in action during her round of 32 match against Slovenia's Polona Hercog REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

(Reuters) -U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu had to work hard for her first win on the WTA Tour after her fairytale New York triumph as she recovered from a set down to beat world number 124 Polona Hercog 4-6 7-5 6-1 in the Transylvania Open in Romania on Tuesday.

Raducanu announced herself on the grandest stage when she claimed the Flushing Meadows title as a qualifier last month, but the 18-year-old Briton lost to Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus in straight sets at Indian Wells.