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Emma Raducanu has acquired a reasonably strong Washington draw regardless of drawing a seed in her opening match because the British tennis star performs No. 8 seed Elise Mertens within the first spherical.
After a really optimistic Wimbledon run, Raducanu is ready to kick off her summer season on laborious courts in america capital as a wildcard.
And in her opening match, she begins towards Mertens, whom she dismantled 6-1 6-2 within the Wimbledon second spherical simply 25 days in the past. On paper, drawing a seed within the first spherical isn’t the best situation. However contemplating that Raducanu earlier this month completely annihilated Mertens, it’s secure to say that may be a favorable matchup and that the Briton may be thought-about the favourite.
If Raducanu beats Mertens, she is going to in all probability play subsequent towards world No. 53 Peyton Stearns. Then, Raducanu might probably tackle No. 3 seed Liudmila Samsonova – in what could be a rematch of the 2022 Washington quarterfinal.
Ought to Raducanu make it to the semifinal, her projected opponent there may be second-seeded Daria Kasatkina. And if the 2021 US Open champion comes out of her a part of the draw, she might tackle both No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka or fourth-seeded Ons Jabeur within the ultimate.
Two years in the past, Raducanu clinched back-to-back straight-set wins over Louisa Chirico and Camila Osorio in her Washington debut earlier than Samsonova handed her a 7-6 (6) 6-1 quarterfinal loss.
This yr, Raducanu is returning to Washington in advantageous type and she or he has already made it clear that she additionally needs a robust begin to the North American hard-court swing.
What Raducanu mentioned in regards to the criticism acquired for preferring Washington over the Olympics?
After it was revealed that Raducanu wouldn’t play on the Paris Olympics however would as a substitute go to a WTA 500 match in Washington, it wasn’t taken properly by the British media and public. And after Raducanu was labeled “a diva” by some, she defended herself by explaining that due to her harm historical past, going again from grass to clay would not be a very good factor for her wrists.
“I’m very single-minded and I do issues my very own method and at my very own time – not in a diva method – however simply prioritizing my physique and my well being as a result of if I’m match, if I’m giving one hundred pc, I do know nice issues are coming,” Raducanu mentioned.
“I simply don’t assume there’s any have to put extra stress on my physique or any danger, particularly with my historical past. It [clay] is extra demanding on the physique, for positive. It’s extra bodily, longer factors, however I feel it’s extra simply the change, the distinction between clay and grass after which on to the laborious… For me, it isn’t crucial at this level to place my physique by that.”
On the time, Raducanu additionally insisted that she loves representing her nation and promised she would do her greatest to be on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I like taking part in for my nation, I feel that was fairly clear on the Billie Jean King Cup. I actually fought, I loved it a lot, however the Olympics is simply not the best time for me this yr. I actually hope to be part of the subsequent one, however with the altering floor it’s simply not well worth the danger for me at this level having recovered from the surgical procedures final yr, however I do want the staff good luck,” Raducanu added on the time.
How Raducanu feels about her type going Washington?
The grass season was a hit for Raducanu, who made her first WTA semifinal in two years and likewise received her first two top-10 wins after beating Jessica Pegula and Maria Sakkari, respectively.
At Wimbledon, the 21-year-old Briton made a extremely sturdy begin however then disappointingly misplaced to qualifier Lulu Solar within the round-of-16. Nonetheless, the previous world No. 10 was nonetheless thrilled together with her grass swing and mentioned she was proud of the path she was going.
“I beat two top-10 gamers inside two weeks [Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne and Maria Sakkari in Wimbledon third round], which is a fairly large deal for me, seeing as the entire US Open even I did not play one top-10 participant,” Raducanu mentioned.
“I feel I’ve to take confidence from that. Six months in the past after I was beginning out after surgical procedure, I might have signed for fourth spherical at Wimbledon.
“In fact I am disillusioned. In fact I need extra. I feel every part does occur for a cause. It simply fuels the hearth and makes me extra hungry. You don’t need issues to occur too simply and too shortly. I had that earlier than [with US Open success]. I do not essentially need only a huge spike.
“I feel I am working there, monitoring in the best path. That want and hearth is again. I simply wish to preserve constructing on that.”
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