The world’s 31st-ranked player, Raducanu, seeded 30th, recorded just 16 winning shots compared to Bucsa’s 28, but she held a slight advantage during critical moments.
In a tightly contested first set, she successfully defended against six break point opportunities before securing the last two games, seemingly gaining control of the match.
Raducanu started the second set by winning the first two games, but after failing to extend her lead to 3-0, Bucsa managed to break her serve, leveling the score at 2-2.
However, she responded with an immediate break of her own and proceeded to win four of the remaining five games.
Raducanu, who received a first-round bye, was competing for the first time since her defeat to Barbora Krejcikova in the quarter-finals of the Korea Open earlier in the month, where she squandered three match points.
“I am genuinely pleased to have put that behind me, and to have recovered following a challenging experience last week,” Raducanu stated, before delighting the audience by addressing them in Mandarin.
“I’m truly aiming for a strong performance here. Given my Chinese heritage, it’s wonderful to return.”
