Emma Raducanu downs world’s richest tennis player in stunning Eastbourne comeback

Emma Raducanu battled back to beat Jessica Pegula in the Eastbourne heat to record her first-ever win against a top-10 player. The American world No.5 won the title in Berlin on Sunday and is a contender for the Wimbledon title. And Pegula took the first set and had a match point in the second set tiebreak at the Rothesay International.

But despite struggling with the soaring temperatures, Raducanu raised her game to win a rollercoaster encounter 4-6 7-6 7-5 in two hours and 44 minutes

Former world No.10 Raducanu’s best previous win in rankings terms came against world No.12 Belinda Bencic in the US Open quarter-finals on the way to the title.

“I am pretty drained right now,” an emotional Raducanu admitted. “It is incredibly difficult to play someone who is so in-form like Jessica off the back of a great run in Berlin. I am pleased with the way I was able to navigate my way out of difficult situations. I didn’t know if I could. I would say this is one of the most meaningful wins for me. I have been through some stuff. To come through is really nice.

She is into the quarter-finals here along with Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart – the first time there are three women through to the last eight here since 1978.

“I think it is really good, healthy competition,” she said. “We all see each other progressing into the next round and we want to join them. That is how it should be. We are all pushing each other. We all come alive on this surface. It is testament to how hard we are all working. Contrary to some beliefs about us, I think we are all doing a good job.”

Raducanu revealed before her first appearance here that she had “rekindled” her love for tennis – and wrote on the TV camera: “My Own Pace” after her opening win over Sloane Stephens.

BBC commentator Annabel Croft said: “I think it is the best we have seen her play for a very long time. Her body language is back to being very, very positive. She has got to be feeling really good about her tennis just before Wimbledon.”

The British No.5 got off to slow starts in the first two sets. She was broken in the first game of the match and trailed 1-4 after only 16 minutes. Raducanu then battled back to 4-4 but then served two double faults to be broken for a third time and Pegula took her second set point when the home favourite hit a return long.

The world No.168 fell 2-0 down in the second set after wrongly sitting down at the changeover.

She broke back at 3-3 and had a set point at 4-5 but hit her forehand down the line into the net.

The rollercoaster nature of the match continued in the tiebreak when the American led 3-0 before Raducanu won the next five points. The Brit saved a match point at 5-6 with a big forehand winner. And Raducanu then took the tiebreak 8-6 with her second set point when Pegula’s backhand hit the net

In the decider, the Bromley-based star won three consecutive games from 0-1 and then broke again to lead 5-2 and serve for the match but Pegula refound her earlier form and got one break back – and then broke again at 5-4 after Raducanu slipped chasing a drop shot.

Back at 5-5, Raducanu set up to break points with a great backhand pass and took the second with an angled volley.

Serving for the match for the third time, the British No.5 went down 0-40 and saved a fourth break point before taking her first match point when Pegual hooked a forehand wide.