EMMA’S DRAC TO HER BEST IN ROMANIA

EMMA RADUCANU said her first victory as US Open champion was “huge” after she drew first blood on the WTA Tour in the land of Dracula.

The British No.1 lost five consecutive games and the first set to black-clad Polona Hercog at the Transylvania Open.

But the World No.23 (above), who had her Romanian father Ian in the crowd, stormed back from the horror run to win 4-6 7-5 6-1 in two hours and 27 minutes.

Her first-ever three-set Tour-level match was longer than the US Open final. Raducanu made history by becoming the first qualifier to ever win a Major title when she won 10 matches without dropping a set.

But incredibly, this was also her first-ever win – or the first time she had taken a set – in a regular WTA Tour event at her fourth attempt.

“It feels like a huge win,” she said. “It’s my first WTA tour win, which makes me very, very happy. I was on a losing streak of WTA matches. The key was to try and stay mentally composed. I knew I wasn’t playing very well, so I needed to keep going one point at a time.”

Raducanu, who gave most of her post-match courtside interview in Romanian, added in English: “It means a lot to play in my dad’s country.”

Cam Norrie won his “dangerous” first match as a Masters champion to stay in the race for the Nitto ATP Finals.

The British No.1 (above) claimed the biggest title of his career at the BNP Paribas Open in California.

And the World No.14 beat Marton Fucsovics 7-6 6-1 at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. It is his 48th win of an incredible season.

But Norrie said: “I still have a lot of work to do. It’s dangerous. I didn’t want to come out and say, ‘I’m unreal at tennis and come out and beat anyone since I won a Masters’.

“I was happy with my attitude. I got him where I wanted.”

Norrie is fighting with Hubert Hurkacz (beaten on Monday by Andy Murray), Jannik Sinner and No.6 seed Felix Auger-aliassime – who he faces in the next round – to finish in the top eight in the Singles Race.