Emma Raducanu`s decision to skip the French Open to focus on the grass-court circuit paid off in her first outing on the surface, as she romped past qualifier Ena Shibahara in the first round of the Rothesay Open here on Tuesday. Raducanu defeated Shibahara 6-1, 6-4 in a 70-minute encounter. 

The 22-year-old Raducanu was playing her first match on grass since Wimbledon 2022. This time last year, she was confined to a mobility scooter as she recuperated from multiple wrist and ankle surgeries.