Emma Raducanu: British No 2 thrashes Iga Sviatek 6-1 6-0 at Australian Open | Tennis news
Emma Raducanu suffered a 6-1 6-0 11-hammer defeat in the third round of the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena to drop just one game against second seed Iga Sviatek.
It equaled her loss to Elena Rybakina at a WTA Tour event in Sydney three years ago.
The only time Raducanu played on the main stage at Melbourne Park was two years ago, when she acquitted herself well, but Swiatek was simply too good.
“I think he’s in the game,” said Raducanu, who was winless in his four matches against Switek.
“Today I think she played good tennis thanks to Iga, but I think she played a little bit better and I think I didn’t play well. That combination was probably not good and it led to today.
“The scoreline was obviously very difficult. I look back and feel like I knew exactly what to do, and I’ll take that as feedback.”
‘There are no excuses behind it’.
Having entered the tournament without any warm-up matches and following a backlog – rekindled during her second-round win over Amanda Anisimova – Radukan’s best third-round performance is by no means a fault here.
Having been broken 16 times in six sets and hitting 24 double faults, she highlighted her serve as a key area she needs to work on if she wants to get close to the top players.
“When I was in Auckland three weeks ago I was doing pool rehab,” said the 22-year-old, the only British woman to reach the last 32.
“I think I have to be thankful for playing matches and competing on the tennis court.
“I started hitting when I arrived 18 days ago. I have to take a positive view that I was able to beat two top opponents in the first two rounds. But I think today, there is no excuse for back or body.
“I think the thing I want to improve is my serve. In the first two matches I lost against two very good players because I was able to defend and move and I used the rest of my game.
“If I can’t hold or command my service games, I feel like it affects the rest of my game.”
Somehow, if Emma wants to get back on the drawing board and challenge these great players, it will be a bit of a learning curve to think about and she will have to play hard for a longer period of time and that is something she already knows.
Swiatek enjoys the ‘perfect match’
Swiatek maintained her lead against Radukanu with a win in just over an hour.
Swiatek was given a time violation before the start of the match for being too slow to serve, but the Pole was a woman in a hurry, the hot sunny conditions making her heavy shots pop even more.
The Briton dug well to hold serve in her opening game but that was as good as she got, with Swiatek flawless and Radukan unable to find enough first serve.
Her backhand, usually one of her best assets, was also crumbling and Radukanu looked like she couldn’t wait to get off the court after the 70-minute breakdown.
Swiatek is a notoriously good forerunner and this is her 26th 6-0 loss at a Grand Slam – compared to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who has managed just nine times.
“I played a few shots after that,” said the second seed, who is playing for his first Australian Open title.
“I felt like the ball was listening to me. I was able to do all the tricks and everything I wanted to do. So I just kept going. This match was good for me.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m aggressive. I try to have the same attitude and focus regardless of the outcome. But it’s not like I don’t want to show something. I’m just playing my game. If it works, why stop?”
“I wouldn’t say I’m aggressive,” said Swiatek, a four-time French Open champion and 2022 US Open winner. “I try to have the same attitude and focus no matter what the point is.
“But it’s not like I want to, you know, show something. I’m just playing my game. If it’s working, why should I stop? I’ve seen a lot of matches when someone goes down like 2-5 or something. You always have to keep going until it’s over.
Despite her poor performance, Radukan was proud of how she handled the event and is eager to get straight back to work, with the next competition in Singapore just over a week away. Tennis live on Sky Sports.
“I think one of my goals this year is just to be consistent, to ride it,” she said.
“My team will probably tell me to take it easy. I feel like I’m going to do something good and have an opinion. I want to get in there as soon as possible.”
“I feel like I’m speaking from a place of reason. I’m not overly emotional either way.”
Rybakina, Lys and Svitolina join Sviatek in the last 16.
Elina Svitolina joins husband Gael Monfils in the fourth round.
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina She joined Swiatek in the last 16 with a 6-3 6-4 win over Diana Yastremska, but was seeded eighth after receiving treatment for her back. Emma Navarro And the ninth seed Daria Kasatkina Also advanced.
German Eva Lees In the year She became the first lucky loser in her match against Sviatek since 1988 when she beat Romania’s Jacqueline Cristian 4-6 6-3 6-3.
Ukraine’s 28th seed Elina Svitolina He advanced to the final with a 2-6 6-4 6-0 win over Italy’s fourth seed Jasmine Paolini.
Former quarterfinalist Svitolina will face Veronika Kudermetova She said she was inspired by her husband Gael Monfils’ win over US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz in the last 16.
Twice semi-final Madison Keys He beat the American and former runner Danielle Collins 6-4 6-4 to earn a place in the last 16 where she will face Ryabkina in one hour and 23 minutes.
The tenth seed had Collins. She answered the raucous crowd in Melbourne in her last match.But she hurt her knee during the second set against Keys.
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