Emma Raducanu defeated Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 in Stuttgart to set up a quarter-final clash with the world No 1, Iga Swiatek, at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The US Open champion started and finished strongly against lucky loser Korpatsch in her first WTA Tour event on clary, securing victory in back-to-back matches for the first time since the Transylvania Open in Romania last October.
The 19-year-old has played a series of long, close matches this season so it would have been a relief to win comfortably against Storm Sanders in round one. And Raducanu picked up where she left off against Korpatsch, dropping just seven points in a one-sided first set.
But the world No 118 found her range in the second set and began to put significant pressure on Raducanu, who was unable to come up with the answers. The British player dug in to hold at the start of the deciding set and then threw Korpatsch off her rhythm with a series of high balls, before riding that momentum to the finish line.
“Overall, I feel like Tamara came out in the second set and played some unbelievable tennis,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview. “I didn’t even think I was making too many mistakes, but I dropped the ball slightly short and she was all over it. For me, it was just about regrouping for the third set and trying to stay aggressive.”
In just her second WTA Tour quarter-final, Raducanu will face the formidable task of taking on Swiatek, who is on a 20-match winning streak. Their only previous meeting came in the quarter-finals of the girls’ singles at Wimbledon in 2018, when the Polish player won 6-0, 6-1.
“Of course she’s in great form and it will be an interesting match, but she’s number one in the world,” said Raducanu. “I feel like I’ve got no pressure going out there, playing on clay against her, so I’m looking forward to the match.”
