By Ros Satar
- Emma Raducanu [3] def. Polona Hercog 4-6 7-5 6-1
- Faces Romania’s Ana Bogdan next
CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA – Emma Raducanu clinches maiden tour-level win and first since historic US Open win at the Transylvania Open.
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Emma Raducanu def. Polona Hercog 4-6 7-5 6-1
It feels like it was a long time coming, but Emma Raducanu finally clinched her first WTA Tour-level win, beating Polona Hercog in the opening round of the Transylvania Open, in Romania.
The British No. 1 had to come from a set down to beat the Slovenian after letting a 4-1 lead in the first set slide away. She battled through a tight second set, before dominating in the decider.
As reported in WTATennis.com, she said: “Polona’s a great opponent, and she’s really experienced, so I really had to fight hard to pull that one through.
“I thought that by the end of the third set, I was playing some better tennis, and the most important thing was I earned another opportunity to go and play better in my next round.”
Raducanu v Ana Bogdan | H2H: First Meeting
The Brit, whose father is from Romania, will face a home-crowd favourite in Ana Bogdan.
H2H & Match Fundamentals
Emma Raducanu [3] v Ana Bogdan | H2H: First Meeting |
WTA Cluj-Napoca | Romania |
Hard (I) | Prize Money: $3,675 |
Scheduled on Centre Court, not before 3:30pm (13:30pm BST) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2021 – Hard)
H2H: | Emma Raducanu (WR 23) | Polona Hercog (WR 106) |
Tournament Previous Best | Inaugural Edition | Inaugural Edition |
1st Serve Return Points Won % | 34.8 | 49.5 |
Return Points Won % | 43.3 | 52.6 |
Break Point Conversion % | 23.5 | 46.2 |
Break Points Saved % | 60 | 22.2 |
Total Points Won % | 53.9 | 49.8 |
Bogdan has one more match indoors than Raducanu which accounts for the stats although when it comes to fending off break points in her own serve, it is a very different matter, and should give Raducanu a bit of confidence that if she could battle past a solid tour veteran in Hercog, she can build on that and persevere.
Playing Styles & Prediction
It was a solid win that showed that Raducanu does have the steadiness to come back and fight through a tough match situation for the win. To blow a 4-1 lead and then come back to dominate at the end shows that she is developing some resilience.
She can expect the ball to come back with pace from Bogdan who loves a bit of acceleration, but Raducanu can hope to match her in terms of her agility around the court, and her own aggressive play.
Again though, she is playing someone with a lot more tour experience under her belt and it feels like it would be no surprise to see her have to battle through a few tough matches as she starts to find her feet on the tour.
Prediction: Raducanu in three sets.
How to Watch/Follow the WTA Cluj-Napoca
Live Stream | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Live Scores | Tennis Live Scores on Britwatch Sports |
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