Britain's Emma Raducanu will face Amanda Anisimova in the next round at the Australian Open on Thursday Sky Sports Jonathan Overend believes that “the breakthrough is just around the corner.”
On Tuesday, Raducano overcame her serving issues to beat 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and reach the second round in Melbourne.
The 22-year-old joked that her serve had a “mind of its own” and committed 15 double faults, but she overcame a sloppy match to achieve her best win at Melbourne Park, beating 31st-seeded Russian Alexandrova 7-6 (7-7). 4) 7-6 (7-2).
The Briton has struggled with injury and form since her stunning 2021 success at the US Open, however Sky Sports Tennis Commentator Overend thinks it is wrong to write it off.
“She is ready to deliver another great performance in the future at the Grand Slam level,” he said. “Yes, the transmission needs work, but everything is positive and moving in the right direction.
Raducano knocked out 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round of the Australian Open
“I'm in the camp of believing that another big achievement is within reach for Raducanu in the next couple of years rather than writing her off. It's the attitude as well as the tennis that gives me that belief.
“Two close sets and surviving when your serve breaks is something we've seen the likes of Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have to deal with over the last few years and they're the best players in the world I reckon.” For now, so there is no embarrassment for Raducano.
“I think what's really good is the way you continue to handle these relatively minor setbacks with such good humor and humility.
“It's very important and very refreshing to see in the cutthroat world of professional sports where a lot of athletes are very nervous and very nervous whenever perceived criticism is made. Raducano seems to be smiling her way through it, and it's very nice to see, and so encouraging.”
Raducanu's attitude as well as her play on the court impressed Overend
Raducano's next competition in Melbourne Anisimova stunned the tennis world when she reached the semi-finals of the French Open at just 17 years old in 2019.
The American has not since repeated the feat at a Grand Slam, reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2022, but she has reached the fourth round in Australia four times before now – something Raducano has never done, and is yet to get beyond the No. 2 finish. Round down under.
The Briton says she knows she is facing tough competition.
“I know she's a great ball striker. She hits the ball hard,” Raducano told the media.
“I have trained with her many times. She loves dictation, so I think it will be a big challenge for me, of course.
“I've had some amazing results as well. I'm out pretty early. I'm looking forward to going out there and testing my game and seeing where I'm at now.”
Raducanu says she knows improving her serve and staying away from injury are two big factors moving forward
Two areas Raducanu admitted she needs to focus on are her serve and her fitness.
“I'm not sure what I changed on my serve. I think it had a mind of its own. I'll make sure I think about that and look at it,” she said.
“I think in the first set I was hitting a lot of good first serves. I hit a few aces. At the same time, I was double-faulting. I was quite accepting of that: 'Okay, I'm at least going for it.'
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Speaking ahead of the Australian Open, Raducano revealed she refused to have a disinfectant spray applied to her bite because she feared it might be contaminated with a banned substance.
“I think as the balls got heavier, it became more difficult. More balls came in, and it wasn't easy to refocus, but I knew that even if I was behind, I had great returns. It was good to be able to do that.” I rely on other parts of my game which I know are very strong as well.
“I'm very proud that I didn't let it get to me too much and I didn't let the game get away from me.”
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Martina Navratilova believes Raducano should take ownership of her tennis career as she answered fans' questions
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Tim Henman thought after the US Open that Raducanu's match was going in the right direction
Regarding her fitness, Raducano added: “I'm a very flexible and pretty hypermobile person. I think that's where a lot of the discomfort has come from in the past, not necessarily having the amount of strength in the end ranges.
“This is something I'm working on now, to try to limit any discomfort or injury. We're just getting started on it, so I want to see how it goes.”
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