‘Biggest win since US Open triumph?’ Emma Raducanu keeps Britain’s hope alive by winning her maiden match on Clay debut
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Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu won her maiden clay-court match, giving the British Billie Jean King Cup team a critical point in their qualification match against the Czech Republic. Following compatriot Harriet Dart’s 6-1 6-0 loss to Marketa Vondrousova earlier in the day, the world No 12 came through a difficult match against Tereza Martincova 7-5 7-5 in two hours and four minutes to draw the game at 1-1. It was the 19-year-maiden old’s Billie Jean King Cup appearance as well as her first professional match on clay.
Raducanu broke her Czech opponent to take a 2-0 lead in her first-ever professional match tennis on a clay court, but she was broken right back. The world Nos 12 and 50 were neck-and-neck in the first set when Martincova pounced and broke to lead 5-4, giving herself the opportunity to serve for the first set with the Czech Republic ahead by one point in the qualifying tie. In her clay debut, the 19-year-old didn’t give up in the face of adversity, saving a set point at 30-40 to rattle off three straight points and break back for 5-5. Raducanu won her maiden match of tennis on the surface 7-5 in 58 minutes, bringing the British squad within one set of a critical point.
As the wind began to kick up, it was Martincova who started the second set on a roll, soon going up a double break at 3-0. It was the first of four straight breaks for Raducanu, who won one break back after a double fault from the world No 50, before regaining her double-break lead until the US Open winner broke for 2-4.
Emma Raducanu and her journey so far
The clay-court debutante broke the run of breaks by holding at 3-4 and breaking to love before fending off four break opportunities in a key nine-deuce game, leaving her one point away from a vital point at 7-5 5-4. At 6-5, she found herself within a game of the match again, and this time she was able to build up a critical breakpoint, giving herself a match point, which she converted to complete a 7-5 7-5 victory in two hours and four minutes.
Raducanu’s triumph is her first tour-level win on clay and her first win against a top 50 opponent since her semi-final appearance in the US Open against 17th seed Maria Sakkari. It also means that at the completion of the first day of their qualification tie, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic are tied on one point. On day two, Raducanu will play world No 32 and former French Open finalist Vondrousova, in a reversal of opponents. Last year, the 19-year-old beat the Czech on her Grand Slam debut as the 338th-ranked wildcard at Wimbledon.
Let’s hope that the 19-year-old’s run continues. Meanwhile here are a few comments from fans on her first-ever win in clay.
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