By the end of a tense opening set in Rome on Sunday, Emma Raducanu had plenty of reasons to feel downcast. Despite elevating her game and being close to taking the set, she found herself, once again, facing defeat.
However, rather than succumbing to frustration, Raducanu maintained her composure and strategized her way to victory. In an impressive turnaround, she overcame Veronika Kudermetova with a score of 5-7, 6-0, 6-1, advancing to the fourth round of the Italian Open.
British No. 1 and fifth seed Jack Draper also made it to the round of 16, winning his match 6-4, 6-3, another testament to his remarkable run on the clay courts.
As Raducanu gains more experience on clay, this week marks her first career achievement of winning three consecutive matches on that surface. She is set to face Coco Gauff in an eagerly awaited match on Monday, while Draper will meet Corentin Moutet on Tuesday after the French player upset ninth seed Holger Rune in a tight match.
After a challenging first set against the skilled Kudermetova, who was ranked as high as No. 9, Raducanu adapted by varying her shots, incorporating different spins and heights. This shift in strategy paid off, and her growing confidence led to a dominant performance in the final two sets. It was evident that she was starting to better understand her strengths and develop her identity on the court.
“When I was younger, I was literally hacking,” Raducanu recalled with a laugh about how her playing style has evolved. “Now, I’ve reached a point where we need to play more offensively, especially through the under 12 and 14 levels. It was fun but needed an aggressive mindset.”
She continues, “I’m exploring my creativity more on the court now. I think I was too boxed in before, focusing solely on being offensive, but I believe I have my own unique skills I can use.”
Draper’s journey wasn’t without challenges, as he faced a tough day on the court with 24 unforced errors. He even broke his racket out of frustration during the second set but ultimately relied on his serve and game strategy to win against the relatively less experienced Copriva, who had just entered the Top 100.
“I usually try to keep calm, but sometimes you just need to let out the frustration,” Draper admitted with a laugh. “I didn’t feel quite myself today.”
With back-to-back tournaments in Madrid and Rome, Draper has been continuously engaged in the competition, discussing the difficulty of maintaining his energy. “I’m just trying to keep going,” he said, reflecting on his lack of sleep the night before and the energy needed for such demanding matches. “Sometimes it feels repetitive, but with the round of 16 coming up, I can’t let that deter me.”
