Emma Raducanu has underlined her excitement before what she describes as a “fact-finding match” against the world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka, as they prepare to battle in the third round of the Cincinnati Open on Monday.
“It’s always exciting for a player like me to play the very top, because it’s like a fact-finding match,” Raducanu said. “You see where you are in comparison to the top. I also think form fluctuates so much on the day. You can lose two and one [6-2, 6-1] one day, you can win or you can make it close the next day, and it can be down to a few points. So I’m excited.”
It will be Raducanu’s first significant match since starting work with her new coach, Francisco Roig, last week in Cincinnati.
Last month she played one of her best matches against a top player in making life difficult for Sabalenka at Wimbledon in two tight sets. After serving for the first set and then later holding a set point against the Belarusian, Raducanu led 4-1 in the second set before losing 7-6 (6), 6-4.
“She played incredible tennis,” Sabalenka said of the British player after her straight-sets win against Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday night. “I’m super happy to see her mentally and physically back, and definitely gonna be back in the top 10 very soon. She challenged me that much, and I like to accept tough challenges, so I’m super excited about facing her on the hard courts.”
Raducanu gave an honest response when asked if she left Centre Court at Wimbledon determined to have another crack at Sabalenka as soon as possible. “I would say I thought I’d love to have another crack at that on grass, like tomorrow,” she said, laughing. “But I know, and I’m honestly reasonable enough, and, I guess, honest enough in myself to know that different surfaces favour different people and where my game is at in comparison. I think the grass gave me a bit of an advantage but we’ll see how it goes.”
Raducanu has enjoyed a positive run of form in recent months while training and competing consistently on the tour, and she could be seeded for the US Open.
However, while she has performed well in the matches she has been favoured to win, the lessons from most of her previous encounters against the top players have been that her general level has simply not been good enough.
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In their first few days working together, Raducanu and Roig will at least get a clear understanding of exactly where she stands in comparison to the very best.
