Emma Raducanu battles through in turbulent game to Italian Open second round
US Open champion Emma Raducanu has won her first-round match at the Italian Open in Rome, battling past spirited teenager Maya Joint 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3. The gritty three-set victory marks Raducanu's first win at the event and provides a significant confidence boost on clay amidst her ongoing comeback.
Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and the first British woman to win a singles major since Virginia Wade in 1977, has advanced to the second round of the Italian Open in Rome. In a turbulent game filled with momentum swings, Raducanu, who famously won the US Open as the first qualifier in the Open Era without dropping a set, secured a "gritty 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3 win" over spirited Australian teenager Maya Joint.
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The victory is a notable one for Raducanu as it marks her first-ever win at the Italian Open in her second appearance, having retired in the first round in 2022. Speaking after the match, Raducanu described it as a really hard battle, praising Joint's amazing match and high level, while also expressing how "really proud of myself as well."
The match featured significant shifts; Raducanu held a lead at 7-5, 5-3 before an impressive recovery from Joint pushed the match to a deciding set. Despite the disappointment of losing the second set, Raducanu handled her disappointment well, maintaining her aggression and conviction and building a 5-0 lead in the third set before closing out the win.
Raducanu is still adapting
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Raducanu is still adapting her game to the red clay, having worked through only one full clay season previously. Despite acknowledging difficulties with movement, she has also secured solid wins on the surface. She takes "a lot of confidence" from this victory, especially given the challenging conditions (night, heavy, cold, old balls), feeling she was committing to my shots and really going for it.
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Her opponent, 19-year-old Maya Joint, is a rising talent who has climbed significantly in the rankings this year and reached the main draw through qualifying. Raducanu noted that Joint, playing at such a high level, is gonna go up really fast, really quick.
In other British action, Cameron Norrie advanced as a lucky loser, while Katie Boulter lost her first-round match. Raducanu will face the 21st seed, Ekaterina Alexandrova, in the second round. The gritty three-set win in Rome is a positive step for Raducanu as she continues her journey back towards the top of the sport.
