Wang Yafan ended Emma Raducanu's return to the major stage 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the second round of the Australian Open, surviving a determined fightback from the US Open champion in the second set to win an evening thriller in 2 hours and 54 minutes.

No.94-ranked Wang advances to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, having fallen in the second round on five previous occasions. She will next face Chinese compatriot Zheng Qinwen; the No.12 seed also triumphed over a Briton, defeating Katie Boulter 6-3, 6-3. Wang defeated Zheng 6-4, 6-1 in their only previous meeting, in the first round of the 2018 Liuzhou ITF W60 event.

After reaching a career-high of No.47 in 2019, Wang is making a comeback after quarantine rules during the Covid-19 pandemic meant that she played sparingly in 2020-21. After a hiatus seven months, she returned in earnest last year, rising from No.418 to No.97 in 2023 and announcing her own return to the Grand Slam stage with an upset of Caroline Garcia at the US Open.

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However, Wang received another setback when appendix surgery sidelined her for another three months, including the entire Chinese autumn swing. The Australian Open marks her sixth tournament back from that, and the first time she has won consecutive matches since returning.

Former US Open champion Raducanu was playing the second tournament of her own comeback from multiple wrist and ankle surgeries last year; she required a medical assessment and her blood pressure taken, but no treatment, early in the third set. The 21-year-old, who was bidding to make the third round of a major for the first time since her 2021 title run in New York, departs Australia with a 2-2 record across two tournaments.

Twists and turns: The match began in gusty conditions, and the first set saw Wang handle them with more control. Raducanu won the wildest wind-affected point of the day, a defensive get that blew back on her side of the court and out of Wang's reach after bouncing, but her routine groundstrokes repeatedly either sailed long or sat up short for Wang to attack.

Raducanu faced two points to go down a 3-0 double break in the second set, and at this point managed to adjust. She got out of that game with a spectacular forehand winner off a Wang drive volley, and that wing would be a significant weapon as she forced her way back into the match. 

In the first set, Raducanu had won just one out of nine rallies that had gone to nine shots or more; in the second, she won 13 out of 23, frequently ending lungbusting exchanges with flashy crosscourt forehands that had the crowd gasping. Wang played her role in the show, too, augmenting her own thumping forehand with several delicate drop shots.

At the start of the third set, Raducanu was seemingly ailing physically, but required no medical treatment despite an assessment trailing 2-0. Raducanu and Wang continued to go toe-to-toe through a series of marathon games, and it was the latter who delivered the most clutch play. Wang saved seven break points across her first two service games of the decider, and a 10-minute hold for 3-1 proved decisive.

There would be no further break points for either player, and Wang converted her first match point after Raducanu netted a backhand.

Wang's greater control over her offensive play was reflected in the final numbers: 42 winners to 32 unforced errors compared to Raducanu's 45 winners and 57 unforced errors.

Wang Yafan on the physicality of the contest: "I [was] also cramping after. In final set I think I have cramping start maybe 3-2, just a little bit. Not very, very hard. But for first game I have little bit. I can't jump too much, so I tried to hit more, more aggressive. So I think the good is, I hit more in for today, so maybe lucky for me."

Raducanu on her medical issues and becoming tougher: "I think I just had a bit of a stomach bug beforehand.

"Third set, I was 30-0 up serving. Then all of a sudden just felt so sick, just really weak and nauseous. Throughout the third set I think everyone could see it was a bit of a battle. Physically, body-wise, I felt fine. It was more I was throwing up in my mouth. Then after the match, it came out. Now I'm OK.

"I've been in that situation before in matches, whether it was with illness or injury, and retired a few times. I think, to be honest, with what I went through last year [...] it's made me so much tougher. There was no way I was going to pull out. She was going to have to beat me, and she did. She served it out. 

"I think the last year off and also just with the amount of niggles and everything that I had, the setbacks, it did make me a lot tougher."