Emma Raducanu mentions Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka after dominant Nottingham win
Raducanu revealed a lesson learned from playing Swiatek and Sabalenka.
Emma Raducanu didn’t hide her happiness after delivering another good serving performance as the 21-year-old Briton said her matches against Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka made her realize how important it was to have a strong first serve.
On Thursday, Raducanu ousted 127th-ranked Ukrainian Daria Snigur 6-2 6-2 to safely progress into the Nottingham quarterfinal and set up a meeting versus either Francesca Jones or Ashlyn Krueger. Against Snigur, Raducanu got broken in her opening service game. But then in the remainder of the match, Raducanu fired 11 aces – won 72 percent of her first serve points – and also saved all six break points she faced after dropping her serve early.
But one thing that didn’t really work in Raducanu’s game on Thursday was her second serve as the Briton won just 9-of-22 points played on her second serve. Raducanu highlights the importance of a good first serve
After overcoming Snigur, Raducanu admitted she was very happy with how she did on her first serve and confessed it would have been really difficult if the majority of points were played on her second serve.
“It was a really tricky one in the conditions and I’m just very happy with how I dealt with all the circumstances. Daria’s a really difficult opponent so it is actually a really good achievement for me to have come through that one,” Raducanu said after her win.
“I’m pleased for sure serving it out the first time. I served really well throughout the whole match and it did make the match a bit easier. If I had just a second serve, it would have just been a nightmare to play her. I’ve been working on every part of my game but obviously the serve is very important. It’s just repetition and I’m pleased to see the rewards in competition.
“Especially what I’ve realized, playing the top opponents like Iga (Swiatek) or Aryna (Sabalenka), you need a first serve because they’re very comfortable holding serve. If you don’t have one yourself then it’s very difficult.” On Friday, Raducanu will be hoping to deliver another good serving performance and reach her first semifinal of the year.
