There’s lots on the road for Emma Raducanu on the WTA 1000 occasion in Miami.
Emma Raducanu might face a fellow Brit, after which two top-15 gamers in Miami (Picture: Getty)
There might be a battle of the highest two Brits on the Miami Open, as Emma Raducanu appears primed to face Sonay Kartal on the Laborious Rock Stadium. No. 24 seed Raducanu will likely be below loads of strain in Florida, as she is defending 215 rating factors for reaching the quarter-finals there final yr, and he or she has a tricky job on her arms if she needs to make it that far once more.
Raducanu has acquired a bye instantly into the second spherical as one of many high seeds. There, she awaits the winner of a first-round conflict between British No. 2 Kartal and American ace Peyton Stearns. Issues will solely get more durable for Raducanu if she makes it additional, with Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova lurking in her part of the draw.
The 23-year-old not too long ago suffered a bruising, 52-minute defeat to Amanda Anisimova within the third spherical of Indian Wells and will likely be hoping to regroup in Miami. But it surely received’t be simple. A possible second-round conflict with Kartal would carry again recollections for each ladies, who used to face off in childhood competitions and have been simply 9 years previous once they battled on the Nationwide Tennis Centre in 2011. This may be their first assembly on the professional tour.
British No. 2 Kartal is in kind after reaching the final 16 in Indian Wells, surprising top-20 seeds Emma Navarro and Madison Keys en route. However the Brighton-based star sparked concern when she retired from her fourth-round match in opposition to Elena Rybakina, having struggled with a decrease again damage since spherical two.
In the meantime, world No. 48 Stearns is a well-recognized opponent for Raducanu. The Brit leads their head-to-head 3-0 and has by no means even dropped a set in opposition to the American. And by getting a bye on to spherical two, Raducanu ensures herself not less than 35 rating factors of the 215 she is defending.
Ought to she attain the third spherical, Raducanu is projected to face No. 11 seed Alexandrova. She might additionally meet teenage wildcard Lilli Tagger or a qualifier. Raducanu has a 1-1 document in opposition to Alexandrova – she beat the Russian eventually yr’s Australian Open, however Alexandrova bought revenge just some weeks later in Doha.
No. 5 seed Pegula is lurking as a possible fourth-round opponent. Pegula ended Raducanu’s spectacular run in Miami final yr. The Brit stormed into her first WTA 1000 quarter-final, upsetting Navarro and Anisimova on her approach, however suffered a three-set defeat to the American.
Emma Raducanu reached the Miami Open quarter-finals final yr (Picture: Getty)
There could nicely even be a rematch of the well-known 2021 US Open last, received by Raducanu, as Leylah Fernandez can also be in her part of the draw as a possible fourth-round rival. Wanting even additional forward, Raducanu might face the likes of Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka, or Iva Jovic within the quarters. She’s additionally in the identical half of the draw as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
After her 6-1 6-1 defeat to Anisimova in Indian Wells, Raducanu admitted she had a option to go to be able to compete with the world’s greatest gamers. And Raducanu could nicely get the chance to check herself in opposition to a few of these high names in Miami subsequent week.
“Once I’m enjoying somebody who’s on the high like that, I feel they’ve an additional 10 miles an hour on their serve than me,” she stated. “If I am not feeling it, that hole feels extra evident when it comes to weight of shot, when it comes to energy. You simply really feel a little bit bit behind and your punches aren’t touchdown as a lot as theirs are. I must be aggressive when enjoying these gamers, however I feel there’s nonetheless an extended option to go to be doing that. I would like to make use of my strengths and doubtless combine it up a bit extra.”
British No. 4 Francesca Jones has drawn Venus Williams within the first spherical. Jones practised with Williams forward of the latest ATX Open in Austin and joked that it was a “first rate first hit”.
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