Emma Raducanu speaks out on Wimbledon interruption BBC didn't broadcast

Emma Raducanu "cheersed" some fans on Court 1 after an unusual disruption during her first-round match. The world No. 40 was recouping at her bench during a changeover after winning the first set 6-3 over Mimi Xu when a fan in the stands popped open a bottle of champagne, and the cork went flying over her head.

The former US Open champion thought it was hilarious and went over to pick up the cork, which landed inside the service box, waving it in the air and offering it back to the spectators. But the BBC cut away to show the first set statistics, missing the light-hearted moment. And Raducanu addressed it at the end of her match.

"I'm glad people were having fun today," Raducanu told the crowd after winning an all-British battle against teenage wildcard Xu.

"I saw a champagne cork fly onto the court so that was fun, glad you guys are having a good time, cheers to you!"

The British No. 1 was clearly enjoying herself on Wimbledon's second-biggest showcourt on Monday. Her back, which has been troubling her on-and-off this season, wasn't an issue, and she hit 25 winners to just 12 unforced errors.

Xu was clearly the underdog in the match and had a shaky start, throwing in plenty of mistakes, so the Court 1 crowd tried to get behind her and spur her on.

But Raducanu was happy with the level of support shown to both players - even though she didn't love the idea of facing a countrywoman in round one.

She added: "I'm super pleased to have come through that match, it's so difficult playing another Brit in the first round. When the draw came out, I can't say that I was loving it, Mimi is such a good player.

"I'm really happy to have come through that and just want to thank everyone from all the support on both sides, it was a really nice atmosphere."

Raducanu will now have the British crowd firmly back on her side in her next match, as she faces Czech star Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, in round two.

Vondrousova has struggled with injuries since lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish two years ago. But she's found some form in recent weeks, winning the WTA 500 in Berlin and upsetting world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka en route.

But Raducanu can take plenty of confidence from the fact that she beat Vondrousova here in 2021, when she made her Grand Slam debut as an 18-year-old wildcard ranked outside of the top 300.

To be the first to receive the latest Wimbledon news, join our WhatsApp community or Wimbledon newsletter