Emma Raducanu did not keep away from going through a seeded participant proper from the beginning because the British tennis star is ready for a really difficult Wimbledon opener in opposition to No. 22 seed and confirmed grass-courter Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Raducanu, who’s at the moment ranked at No. 168 on the planet and was handed a fundamental draw wildcard for Wimbledon, knew there was an opportunity of getting a troublesome first-round match at The Championships. And on Friday, precisely that occurred after Raducanu drew four-time WTA champion Alexandrova, who additionally achieved a career-high rating of No. 15 in April.
For Raducanu, 21, and 29-year-old Alexandrova, their Wimbledon assembly will even be the primary time that they’re taking over one another. Going into the match, each Raducanu and Alexandrova aren’t missing matches for the reason that Briton appeared in two tournaments this grass season whereas the Russian took half in three.
Additionally, they’re in good type, contemplating that Raducanu was a semifinalist in Nottingham and likewise a quarterfinalist in Eastbourne this week, whereas Alexandrova made the ‘s-Hertogenbosch semifinal earlier than dropping within the Berlin and Dangerous Homburg round-of-16.
Whereas Raducanu has performed nicely on the grass this summer time and it’s undoubtedly trying like her greatest floor, two of Alexandrova’s 4 titles got here on the grass courts of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. All in all, Raducanu has proved that she is usually a risk on the grass and can probably have a shot at profitable if she performs her recreation however Alexandrova actually will not be a simple opponent.
![Emma Raducanu](https://www.tennisworldusa.org/world/media/image150671.jpg)
What Raducanu stated about her Wimbledon probabilities?
On Thursday, Raducanu’s marketing campaign at a WTA 500 event in Eastbourne completed following a 2-6 2-6 loss to world No. 14 Daria Kasatkina. Though it was the worst efficiency that the 21-year-old Briton delivered throughout this 12 months’s grass season, she nonetheless made some noise in Eastbourne as a result of she beforehand beat 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and world No. 5 Jessica Pegula.
And after posting a semifinal end in Nottingham and likewise doing stable in Eastbourne, Raducanu stated she would enter Wimbledon “very assured.”
“I really feel good. I believe I must be very assured. I really feel like I’ve each proper to be within the place that I’m now, as a result of I’ve been coaching, I’ve been working for it. I believe that, you realize, dropping right this moment means I get a time without work tomorrow after which get to coach at Wimbledon,” Raducanu stated.
“So you need to simply spin every thing to be a constructive. For me, that is how I’ll spin it proper now. However I am trying ahead to it. Like, I am very joyful to be again in London. It is, yeah, the place I name house. It is the place I missed final 12 months a lot. Spoke slightly bit concerning the feeling of going to Wimbledon final 12 months, the commitments, eager to do every thing to be on the opposite aspect of the taking part in. Yeah, I believe that is going to be an important feeling for me to recollect subsequent week.”
![Emma Raducanu](https://www.tennisworldusa.org/world/media/image150673.jpg)
What Raducanu stated about her stage in Eastbourne and what made her actually joyful?
When the Eastbourne draw was launched and it was revealed that Raducanu would meet a Slam champion within the first spherical after which doubtlessly No. 2 seed Pegula in her subsequent match, the overall perception was that it might function a very good take a look at for the Briton earlier than Wimbledon.
And after Raducanu ousted Stephens 6-4 6-0 and likewise saved a match level earlier than edging out Pegula 4-6 7-6 (6) 7-5 in practically three hours of play, the 2021 US Open champion answered some questions.
In the long run, Raducanu left Eastbourne joyful together with her recreation but additionally much more joyful about the truth that she was totally wholesome.
![Emma Raducanu](https://www.tennisworldusa.org/world/media/image150674.jpg)
“Yeah, I believe I put some good stage out once more. Simply to have the ability to again up every week like Nottingham, clearly I am very pleased with. I believe the largest win for me is I used to be in a position to play three matches again to again. Right now bodily I really felt fantastic. It wasn’t to do with something being in ache and three high-level matches,” Raducanu mirrored.
“Additionally yesterday the match was shut to a few hours. Plus the warmup earlier than, I performed nearly 4 hours on court docket, and this morning I pulled up fully fantastic. I imply, 1 was stunned about it. That needs to be an enormous win. That is an enormous constructive.
“I spoke slightly bit yesterday simply overcoming some issues, and I did that. Yeah, have simply been actually having fun with my tennis, which is what I stated firstly of the week, and the truth that, you realize, right this moment hasn’t actually dented my confidence in any respect or my strategy or mentality is an enormous win for me.”