Playing for the first time in more than 50 days, Emma Raducanu defeated Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open.

It was only the third event of the year for the 2021 US Open champion. 

"It was a good match for me to get through," Raducanu said on-court afterward. "I think that Danka is an extremely difficult opponent. I was expecting [a battle] going into today, and I'm just glad to get through."

Here are three takeaways from Raducanu's win: 

Fitness not an issue in victory: After suffering a left ankle injury at the ASB Classic that hampered her preparations for the Australian Open, where she lost in the second round to Coco Gauff, Raducanu's planned return was even further pushed back after a bout of tonsillitis. She was forced to withdraw from last week's inaugural ATX Open in Austin due to the illness and also pulled out of the Tie Break Tens charity exhibition event held Tuesday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. 

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Despite media reports circulating ahead of the match that the wrist issue that ended her 2022 season early recurred ahead of Indian Wells, Raducanu seemed to have recovered well enough to post a 1 hour, 21-minute victory.

Down early, she rolled late: Raducanu trailed 2-0 in both sets, but ultimately exacted comprehensive revenge on Kovinic, having lost to her in their last meeting in the second round of the 2022 Australian Open. That was a match in which she was also plagued by physical issues. Then, it was blisters on her playing hand. 

Raducanu won six straight games to take the first set and won six of the last seven in set two -- including four in a row from 2-0. Serving in the sixth game, Raducanu saved three break points that would've seen Kovinic draw level at 3-3 and later won the last eight points of the match.

"I'm happy I stuck in," Raducanu said. "Being a break down is difficult, of course, but I think mentally, I just took it one point at a time."

Linette looms: Raducanu reached the third round of Indian Wells a year ago. To match that feat in 2023, she'll need to beat Australian Open finalist and No.20 seed Magda Linette of Poland. 

Raducanu was a 6-2, 6-2 winner against Linette in their first meeting, in the quarterfinals of the Hana Bank Korea Open last September. It was the penultimate tournament Raducanu played last year. 

"She's had a great season so far," Raducanu said. "Her results prove that and I know that from the match we played in Seoul, that it was quite physical. I'm looking forward to the match and I'm just so happy to be playing another round here in Indian Wells."