The British Emma Raducanuonce one of the great promise-truths of women’s tennis, reappeared on the grass of Eastbourne (United Kingdom) and eliminated the great favorite in the competition, the American Jessica Pegula, in the round of 16by 4-6, 7-6 (6) and 7-5.
It was two and three quarter hours of very good lawn tennis. An intense, even match, which Raducanu won with a comeback, as after losing the first set he saw how Pegula had a match point in the tie break of the second set.
But Raducanu, 21 years old, born in Toronto, to a Romanian father and a Chinese mother, but a British national, is currently number 168 WTA but has a track record that already includes victory in a ‘major’ (US Open 2021 ) and, Then, he suffered a big brake in his career, he knows how to react in time.
And he did it, moreover, against a Pegula who beat him in the only precedent between them so far (Cincinatti 2022, hard court) and which came after his victory a week ago on the grass in Berlin . The American (no. 5 WTA) who became the heavy favorite after the departure of Latvian Elena Rybalkina did not know how to ‘kill’ her rival and paid dearly for it.
After winning match point in the second set and taking it, Raducanu entered the third set dominating. He reached a wide 5-2 that seemed to indicate a quick finish in his favor. It wasn’t like that, it was painful. And the British gave two serves and saw his rival level (5-5).
Raducanu woke up and took Pegula’s serve again (6-5). But he narrowed his arm again on his serve and the American took a favorable 0-40. The British solved this, as well as another breaking ball, and he went to the final victory with the first ball he could use for it.
The opponent in the quarterfinals of the ‘reborn’ Raducanu is the Russian Daria Kasatkina (n.14 WTA), sixth favorite, beat Chinese Yue Yuan on the return, 3-6, 6-4 7 6-0.
Canadian Leylah Fernández (no.30) continued to have a steady hand, easily defeating American Ashlyn Kueger (no.67), 6-2 and 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals. Waiting there was British Harriet Dart (n.105), who won 6-3, 6-7 (3) and 6-0 against North American Sofia Kenin, who entered the main draw due to the withdrawal of Elena Rybalkina .
Czech Karolina Muchova and Britain’s Katie Boulter also reached the quarterfinals, defeating Polish Magda Linette (6-4, 6-1) and fifth-seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (6-4, 7-5 , respectively). This last, another one of the surprises of the day.
Source: La Verdad
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