Emma Raducanu reacts after hugely impressive clay court debut on WTA Tour
Emma Raducanu enjoyed one of her most comfortable wins yet on the WTA Tour, as her made an impressive start to her campaign at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
US Open champion Raducanu saw off Australian qualifier Storm Sanders 6-1, 6-2 as she marked her WTA Tour clay-court debut in style.
The 19-year-old, seeded eighth in Stuttgart, showed no discomfort after suffering from a blister on her foot when playing for Great Britain at the Billie Jean King Cup in Prague last weekend.
Raducanu took a little while to find her rhythm as she was taken to deuce on her first two service games.
Sanders also won her first service game to love, but it was one-way traffic from that point as Raducanu’s power from the baseline told.
Raducanu dominated some excellent rallies and wrapped up the first set in 30 minutes.
It was a similar story in the second after Raducanu’s speed across the court allowed her to reach a Sanders drop shot and execute on her third break point.
Sanders stopped Raducanu winning an eighth game in a row by beefing up her serve, but Raducanu, the world ranked number 12 and a whopping 185 places above Sanders, was in no mood to let her opponent off the hook.
She broke again for a 4-1 lead and her strong serve ensured that recent difficulties of closing out matches would not be an issue this time.
Raducanu said: “It’s been a good start for me to the clay season, today being my first WTA match on clay. I’m really excited to spend more time on this surface and really happy with my performance today.
“I think my serve (pleased me most). I was getting a lot of good points from my serve, setting up well and it lasted throughout the entire match. That is an improvement from me.
“It has been difficult to transition to clay. Last week I was being taught how to slide on the clay using a medicine ball. To have come this far in the space of a week I am very happy. It is just about being comfortable with the unstable surface underneath.”
Raducanu, who wore a Tottenham jersey during her pre-tournament practice, will play Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch in the round of 16.
Latest
-
WTA TourCanada’s teenaged Billie Jean King Cup hero holds Wimbledon dream
Marina Stakusic has been singled out as a player to watch in 2024.
-
Tennis NewsTennis chief reveals how he brought Emma Raducanu back to Aukland for comeback event
Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin revealed how he brough Raducanu back to New Zealand.
-
Tennis NewsHow rich is Jessica Pegula: Net worth in 2023
Jessica Pegula is the first to admit that she comes from a family of privilege, but she is also one of the hardest-working players.
-
Tennis NewsRealistic targets for Rafael Nadal and Emma Raducanu as new comeback footage is released
The tennis world is holding its breath…
-
OlympicsOlympics clear Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris as neutrals
Russian and Belarusian athletes will get their shot at gold at Paris 2024.
-
WTA TourNaomi Osaka wants to further her tennis education and win more Grand Slams
Naomi Osaka believes that she has a lot to learn about the game.
-
Tennis NewsITF’s ‘Class of 2023’ revealed as the five most promising junior players in the world are identified
Away from the spotlight at the top of the sport, this has been a stand-out year for junior players thriving on the ITF’s World Tennis Tour.
-
NewsIga Swiatek: Biography, Lifestyle, Lovelife, Net Worth, Career, Endorsements
Find out more about Iga Swiatek.
-
ATP TourThe 20 countries with the most ATP titles in 2023: Novak Djokovic’s Serbia 1st, United States 5th
A look at the different countries to win ATP Tour singles titles in 2023.
-
Tennis NewsHuge slide for fallen world No 1 in UTR rankings as Iga Swiatek leads the way
The final UTR rankings for 2023 show Poland’s Swiatek as the outstanding No 1.