Emma Raducanu remarkably produced a bagel set against the American (Picture: Getty)
Emma Raducanu has put her painful defeat to British No.1 Katie Boulter behind her with a 6-4 6-0 victory over American star Sloane Stephens.
Raducanu lost to her fellow Brit in the Nottingham Open semi-finals 10 days ago but won her opening match in Eastbourne against world No.45 Stephens on Tuesday, in what is her last tournament before the Wimbledon Championships.
It was Stephens who took the lead in an incredibly frantic first set at the Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club – which saw both players produce double breaks – and it seemed we were heading for a tie-break before an epic Game 10.
After being stuck at deuce for what felt like an eternity, Raducanu conjured up set point and got the job done with her third break of the match when Stephens’ forehand went wide, much to the delight of the home crowd cheering the Brit.
Raducanu was on absolute fire at the beginning of the second set, producing some of her very best tennis with two comfortable holds and her fourth break of the afternoon to race into a quick 3-0 lead in the East Sussex sunshine.
Another break and hold remarkably put Raducanu 5-0 up and on the verge of a bagel set and her sixth break of the afternoon secured a mighty 6-4 6-0 victory.
The 21-year-old, who tasted Grand Slam glory three years ago as a teenage qualifier in New York, skipped this year’s French Open to focus on Wimbledon, which gets underway on July 1 with Raducanu handed a wildcard by organisers.
Raducanu has struggled with form and various injury problems ever since her US Open triumph at Flushing Meadows and 2024 is all about building up her fitness, with the British star currently ranked No.168 after her long period of inactivity.
She is desperate for a deep run at her home Grand Slam in SW19 – the tournament where she burst onto the tennis scene when she reached the fourth round in 2021 – after she was unable to compete last year due to injury issues.
Beating one-time major winner Stephens is a key morale boost for Raducanu, and the Briton who was ranked as high as world No.10 back in 2022 is now aiming to extend her stay in Eastbourne for as long as possible before the Championships.
‘I’ve rekindled a fire inside of me’
Emma Raducanu reached the semi-finals in Nottingham this month (Picture: Getty)
‘I love the sport, I love tennis,’ Raducanu said ahead of her match against Stephens in Eastbourne. ‘It’s kind of just taken over me. I’ve really rekindled a light and a fire inside of me. Just very happy and enjoying it a lot.
‘I’m just really grateful to have this feeling again because it’s something that I feel like I’ve been missing in a way for the last few years.I haven’t felt this good about my tennis and just excited about it and passionate for a long, long time.
‘I think …read more
Source:: Metro
