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Emma Raducanu fought back from 5-0 down in the first set to beat Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan in the last 16 at the Transylvania Open in Romania.

In her second match since splitting with coach Francis Roig, Raducanu won 11 games in a row on the way to securing a 7-5 6-1 victory.

“Thank you for the support, it really got me through some tricky moments in that first set,” said the British number one.

“Kaja was playing some great tennis, was putting me on the back foot straight away.

“I thought I was being aggressive going for my shots but I was missing and not executing. At least I could say that I was trying to play on my terms so that was the goal for me.

“I don’t think I’ve ever come back from 5-0 down before so that’s a first to add to the experience.”

Raducanu had been on the brink of losing the opening set against Juvan but a cross-court forehand winner helped her break in the sixth game and she finally got on the scoreboard.

An improving Raducanu, who is the top seed at the WTA 250 event, broke twice more to level at 5-5 as world number 97 Juvan failed to serve out for the set on three occasions.

The 23-year-old gave out a scream and fist pump as she held to go into a 6-5 lead before taking her second set point in the next game.

Raducanu saved a break point in the first game of the second set before breaking Juvan to love to take control of the match.

Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal beat lucky loser Renata Zarazua to reach the last eight of the Abu Dhabi Open after original opponent – and defending champion – Belinda Bencic withdrew through illness.

World number nine Bencic became the first mother to win a WTA singles title since May 2023 when she beat Ashlyn Krueger in last year’s final just four months after returning from maternity leave.

Kartal, who came through two qualifying matches before beating Spain’s Cristina Busca in round one, was on court for just 57 minutes as she overcame Mexico’s Zarazua 6-0 6-3.

The British number two and world number 61 will face 20-year-old Czech Sara Bejlek in the quarter-finals.

Fellow Briton Katie Boulter reached the last eight at the Ostrava Open with a straight-sets victory over Swiss fifth seed Viktorija Golubic.

Boulter, 29, dropped just two games in each set to set up a meeting with either fourth seed Rebecca Sramkova or Linda Fruhvirtova.

Deontay Wilder said he has to have a “sick mind” to want to fight his friend Derek Chisora as the heavyweights prepare to do just that on 4 April in London.

The pair are well-established showmen who often keep surprises up their sleeves at media events – Chisora once chucked a table at Dillian Whyte.

But Wilder and Chisora struck an unusually friendly chord at the launch news conference on Wednesday.

With both men facing their 50th fight and perhaps having matured beyond their past antics, Chisora said he introduced Wilder to fish and chips at London’s Borough Market before the media event.

“I don’t have to flip tables, spit water in anyone’s face, I don’t need to threaten anybody. We both know what we need to do,” Chisora said.

“I don’t want to sell this fight with violence, because there’s too much violence in the world right now.”

Chisora admitted the mood will switch in fight week, but also said he might go on holiday to Alabama, where Wilder lives, with his family after the bout.

The 42-year-old, who took to the stage draped in a UK flag and bandana, continually described Wilder as his “brother”, while the American said the fight was “must-win” for him.

Chisora intends to retire after his 50th contest, while Wilder hopes to make a final run at becoming a two-time heavyweight champion.

“I need this fight. I need Derek more than he needs me because of what he brings to the table. I feel like I’m back,” Wilder said.

“I’ve been broken down and built back up again. I’m looking forward to it and can’t wait.”

The heavyweight bout will intrigue the boxing public and is likely to draw a sell-out crowd to the O2 as only the second time Wilder will fight in the UK, but will compete with two other shows for attention that weekend in the country.

Wilder, 40, stands at a career crossroads with four losses in his past six bouts.

Successive defeats by Joseph Parker and then Zhilei Zhang prompted a year-long lay-off from the sport.

Wilder said he attended therapy during that period because of “problems outside the ring” and felt he was “mentally done for” preparing for his recent fights.

He returned in June last year to knock out the unheralded Tyrrell Anthony Herndon in seven rounds and could secure a world title fight with a win over Chisora.

“You want to fight Oleksandr Usyk, I am the gatekeeper,” Chisora said.

Chisora intends to bring the curtain down on a professional career that has spanned 19 years and 346 rounds.

It is not the first time the two-time world title challenger has branded a fight as his swansong, but when promoter Frank Warren suggested there could be another bout in him if he wins, Chisora interrupted, saying: “I am, please, please, please.”