HUNGER GAMES

Emma is Rad all over after months of injury lay-offs

- NEIL MCLEMAN

EMMA RADUCANU admits her enforced injury breaks have increased her hunger for tennis.

The British No.2 showed her mental resilience - and her fist-pumping will to win - while beating No.26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, despite serving 15 double faults.

She will now meet fellow former teen prodigy Amanda Anisimova (inset), who took an eight-month break from tennis in 2023 to protect her mental health.

The challenges of top-class sport were also illustrated when Aussie qualifier Destanee Aiava revealed she had decided to take her own life on Easter Sunday 2022 before she was talked down from a Melbourne bridge.