Boxer Ruby White insisted she was far from her best despite an excellent start to her Commonwealth Games.
The ‘Pocket Rocket’ completely outboxed Thandolwethu Mathiba, with the South African receiving two counts before White won unanimously on points.
It was a dominant start in the women’s 51kg but White is determined to up her game for her quarter-final against Angel Katushabe.
“I enjoyed it,” she said. “I probably should have done a little bit more, but I wanted the rounds and I wanted the experience.
“The walkout was amazing. The smoke, the crowd, the atmosphere, it was brilliant. I'm really happy.
“I know it's going to get harder with each round, which is what I want. I'm happy and I'm confident I'm good enough to win this. I just need to prove that and perform in the ring.
“I'm a little disappointed in myself because I don't think I performed as well as I should have for the people who don't know me yet. I need to be better next time.”
White dominated the fight from start to finish and Mathiba received her first count at the end of the first round.
A second followed at the start of the second round but White, who was crowned world under-19 champion in 2024, has learned not to chase stoppages.
“I'm only 19 and I wanted to see what it's like against older women,” she added.
“It's not just the skill level. It's how they move in the ring, how they hold you and try to tire you out. I'm happy with that experience.
“I used to look for stoppages and they never came. Since I stopped looking for them, they've come naturally and I've found that I box a lot better.
“I don't think I was looking for the stoppage there. I definitely could have pushed for it more, but it doesn't matter. I got three rounds of experience against a girl a lot older than me, and that's valuable.”
Earlier, twins Will and Paddy Hewitt both tasted defeat within an hour of each other.
Will was beaten by Sachin Sachin of India before Paddy lost to Wales’ Orlando Holley-Sotomi.
The pair were both bitterly disappointed to see their campaigns end after their first bouts but they did not bring their best to the ring on the day.
“This was a bad day at the office,” said Paddy. “You can't go swimming without getting wet, and I got wet. I got caught early. I did well to get up and I felt fine. I tried to battle it back and felt I was on top in the first round, but that early knockdown changed things.
“It's a tough sport. We're not throwing a ball, kicking a ball or jumping over a bar. We're getting in there and fighting.
"It's more than a sport, and nobody really understands it until they're in there on their own.
“You're put in positions like this and it can be amazing or it can be terrible. Unfortunately, today it was terrible.”
James Reid/Sportsbeat
