By Ros Satar
- Emma Raducanu def. Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-3
- Faces Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette [20]
- H2H: Raducanu leads 1-0
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA, USA – Emma Raducanu battled past wrist pain and tonsillitis to beat Danka Kovinic, and now faces No. 20 seed Magda Linette.
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Emma Raducanu def Danka Kovinic 6-2 6-3
Emma Raducanu had to contend with concerns over a recurring wrist injury and tonsillitis ahead of her BNP Paribas opener and was even uncertain mere moments before the match whether she would even be fit enough to take to the court.
A nap in the training room before hand, and then into the stadium hardly seems like the ideal formula for success, but when aided and abetted by an error-strewn Danka Kovinic who, despite breaking Raducanu early in the first set, proceeded to get herself broken three times in a row as a coughing and hacking Raducanu raced through the rest of the first set.
The second set started in much the same fashion as the first with an immediate break of the Raducanu serve, and once more Kovinic found herself broken in quick succession. There looked to be a flurry of resistance as it looked like Kovinic was trying to get back on even terms, but Raducanu held on, finishing with a flourish, serving and then breaking to love.
Emma Raducanu v Magda Linette [20] | H2H: Raducanu leads 1-0
Emma Raducanu v Magda Linette [20] | H2H: Raducanu leads 1-0 |
WTA Indian Wells | California, USA |
Hard (O) | Prize Money: $30,885 |
First on Stadium 4 at 11am (7pm GMT) | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Hard Court 2023)
H2H: | Emma Raducanu (WR 77) | Magda Linette (WR 21) |
Tournament Previous Best | R3 (2022) | R2 (2017, 2019, 2021) |
1st Serve Return Points Won % | 37.4 | 34.4 |
Return Points Won % | 47.4 | 44.1 |
Break Point Conversion % | 41.1 | 41.3 |
Break Points Saved % | 58.6 | 44.8 |
Total Points Won % | 53.4 | 51.9 |
The stats paint a surprising picture, given Raducanu’s comparatively little play both in and since Australia, compared to Magda Linette’s landmark run to the Australian Open semi-final and a quarter-final in Merida. Raducanu leads across each stat except for break point conversion, and even then the margin is negligible. However, she was extremely croaky and coughing a lot at the end of her match, so it all depends on how a day off will have helped her where the tonsillitis and indeed wrist pain is concerned.
Playing Styles & Prediction
Raducanu will be hopefully bringing the aggression to the court again and will need it to counteract the more defensive game of Linette. Both are certainly agile enough to get around the court with ease, but this may be where the Pole can run a potentially fatigued and under-cooked Raducanu around.
She certainly is unlikely to be as much of a walking bag of errors as Kovinic was, but her weaker serve will be punishable by Raducanu, who does enjoy taking the ball on the rise and gaining dominance in the point. She will need to try and stop Linette from coming forward.
Unless Raducanu can get this done quickly, it is unlikely she will have the ongoing stamina in the desert heat to be made to grind it out over the distance.
Prediction: Linette in three sets.
How to Watch/Follow WTA Indian Wells
TV | Amazon Prime Video <– Sign up for trial |
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