Wimbledon 2025: Emma Raducanu sets up Aryna Sabalenka showdown with dominant win over Marketa Vondrousova

Yahoo

5 days ago

Emma Raducanu produced a statement performance to brush aside Marketa Vondrousova and set up a showdown with world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
This was supposed to be a stern test for the British number one, against a player in Vondrousova who won the Wimbledon title only two years ago.
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But Raducanu was comfortably on top from the off, aggressive with the groundstrokes and largely dominant behind her serve in a 6-3 6-3 win on Centre Court.
It was a superb win, on that booked her place in the third round, but she now faces the ultimate test against Sabalenka, who has made it to at least the quarter-finals in every Grand Slam she has played since the 2022 French Open.
"She is number one in the world right now, so dominant on the tour and has won literally everything so and it is going to be a really difficult match,' Raducanu said.
'I'm just so happy with how I performed and all I can do is control my side of the court as best as possible. When you play an opponent like her you know you have to play well so I guess there is no pressure on me at all in the next round!"
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Raducanu beat Vondrousova in the second round here in 2021, weeks before her stunning run to the US Open title, and reflecting on that Wimbledon win earlier this week, she emphasised how aggressive she had been.
A similar game-plan was employed here, Raducanu stepping it up with her forehand in particular at every opportunity in an even start to the match.
Holds were exchanged until the Briton landed the first blow, making a brilliant backhand pass down the line to break for a 4-2 lead.
Vondrousova responded immediately to get it on serve again but Raducanu then seized back the momentum, taking advantage of some untimely doubles faults from the Czech to move to within a game of the set.
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Raducanu ensured there were no further twists to move halfway to victory, even if she did have to rely on the third of three set points as tension threatened to build.
The third game of the second set felt increasingly significant as the second, third and fourth deuce came and went, Raducanu unable to take two break points. She turned up the intensity when a third came and forced a mistake to earn the break.
Vondrousova had two chances to get it back on serve immediately but could do not so, and then staved off a couple of break points on her own delivery. Raducanu was denied when a hawk-eye replay showed a return land an inch out.
Every Vondrousova service game was a battle for her and it was no surprise, then, that Raducanu did not have to serve the match out.
One match point was all it took, her punishing groundstrokes too big and too deep for Vondrousova to deal with. This was a clinical display, but even more will be needed against Sabalenka.