By Tony Fairbairn at Wimbledon
- Emma Raducanu [WC] def Maria Sakkari [9] 6-2 6-3
- Raducanu v Lulu Sun [Q] | H2H: First Meeting
LONDON, ENGLAND – Emma Raducanu eased past Maria Sakkari to reach the second week of Wimbledon where she will face qualifier Lulu Sun.
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Emma Raducanu [WC] def Maria Sakkari [9] 6-2 6-3
Emma Raducanu is into the second week at Wimbledon for the second time in her career after a convincing straight sets win over Maria Sakkari. The former US Open once again was confident and composed on return while Sakkari’s serving in big moments at Grand Slams continued to fail her.
It was an impressive start from Raducanu who broke in the opening game as Sakkari wasn’t given time to play her game. The Brit set the tempo dictating play with the forehand, taking advantage of an error-prone start from Sakkari. There was a good response from the world number nine as expected as she produced some consistent power on the backhand side, anticipating Raducanu’s serving patterns well.
The Greek created five break points in two consecutive return games as Raducanu’s serving under pressure was about to be put through a severe test. The first test was passed from Raducanu as she produced some explosive shots under pressure to fend off Sakkari’s returning quality with the Brit holding for a 4-2 lead.
Generally, Sakkari played some consistent and high-quality tennis but in the big points, the ninth seed produced catastrophic errors as Raducanu sensed an opportunity. There was a ruthless side to Raducanu’s returning in this tournament and that was on display once again as another break of serve, secured a 5-2 lead. There was continued pressure from Sakkari on return but Raducanu’s serving under pressure was on a different level as she saved two break points to secure the opening set 6-2.
In the second set both players were controlled with their level of play but unfortunately for Sakkari this led to even more unforced errors as she was unable to hit through Raducanu’s defence. Raducanu took advantage of Sakkari’s sloppy play and once again found some big serves to fend off pressure from Sakkari to save two break points and consolidate the break.
As the set went on both players were starting to find their rhythm as Sakkari looked to improve her level in time to try and get the break back as she was struggling to gain some consistent momentum in this match. However, the momentum stuck with Raducanu as she went for the final nail in the coffin as the Brit broke for a second time to seal victory and a place in the last 16. After the match Raducanu spoke about her level and how her patience is finally paying off.
“Yeah, it’s obviously amazing. I think you do your work day in, day out. You never know when it’s going to pay off, you never know when you’re going to reap the rewards,” Raducanu stated in her press conference.
“I think after a lot of losses just on a regular tour, it’s very difficult sometimes to stay in the moment, keep working, get back up, just keep doing your thing. You have to have in the back of your mind at some point it’s going to pay off and you just don’t know when. I’m very happy that a lot of the work I’ve been doing has compounded and has been able to show this week.”
Emma Raducanu [WC] v Lulu Sun [Q] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Emma Raducanu [WC] v Lulu Sun [Q] | H2H: First Meeting |
| Wimbledon 2024 | London, England |
| Grass (O) | Prize Money: £226,000 |
| Second on Centre Court (16:00 BST) | BBC Sport |
Raducanu now has a golden opportunity to reach her first Wimbledon quarter-final when she takes on qualifier Lulu Sun.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Emma Raducanu (WR 135) | Lulu Sun (WR 123) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R4 (2021) | N/A |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won % | 37.7 | 36.3 |
| Return Points Won % | 43.7 | 41 |
| Break Point Conversion % | 40.7 | 42.9 |
| Break Points Saved % | 59.5 | 58.5 |
| Total Point Won % | 57.4 | 50.5 |
Raducanu’s efficient and aggressive returning will be put to the test against Sakkari’s big and physical serving.
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Playing styles and prediction
Heading into the grass court season, Sun had some very good results on the ITF circuit but very minimal experience on the main tour. That minimal experience has resulted in Sun being fearless at Wimbledon and it has paid off as she qualified for Wimbledon and her confidence was further boosted when she knocked out Australian Open finalist Qinwen Zheng in the opening round. Now Sun aims to continue her dream run as she is the first female player from New Zealand in the last 16 of Wimbledon since 1959.
Raducanu will aim to continue her aggression on serve while maintaining her efficiency on big points as she will look for a quick start once again. Meanwhile Sun will extend the rallies and make Raducanu move as much as possible as a mixture of angles and depth will give her more of a chance of dictating play. This will be a tough test for Raducanu against inspired opposition but the Brit should have enough quality and maturity to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time.
Prediction: Raducanu in straight sets.
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