LONDON: Emma Raducanu admits she will need to be at the top of her game when she takes to the court to play her second round match at Wimbledon.
The world No.40 kicked off her campaign at the All England Club with a convincing 6-3, 6-3, win over compatriot Mingge Xu. Raducanu has become the second British woman in the Open Era to have won all of their first round matches in their first four appearances at Wimbledon. The only other player to do this was Winnie Shaw more than 50 years ago.
Raducanu may have to up her game if she wishes to continue her winning run. Awaiting her next is the resurgent Vondrousova, who is currently on a six-match winning streak. The Czech knocked out 32nd seed McCartney Kessler in her opening match.
“She won Berlin beating really top players on the way to the title. A really difficult match,” Raducanu replied when asked about her next opponent.
“She has won Wimbledon. An amazing grasscourt player, in general. I think it’s going to be a really difficult match. I’m going to need to play very well to get over the line.”
Four years ago, Raducanu got the better of Vondrousova at Wimbledon in what was also a second round match. However, since then, she has lost to her twice in 2022 during a Billie Jean King Cup tie and this year at the Abu Dhabi Open.
“I remember I played really good tennis,” Raducanu said of their last Wimbledon meeting.
“I played one of the best matches I’ve played. Was so aggressive, took the ball on.
“That was a big change, a big turning point for me.”
Meanwhile, Vondrousova is high in confidence after already beating two top 10 players on the grass this year – Aryna Sabalenka and Madison Keys. Although the only time she won back-to-back matches at Wimbledon was when she lifted the trophy in 2023.
“I was really working hard to come back and have these kinds of matches, so it’s nice to have that,” said Vondrousova, who has been hampered by injury setbacks over the past year.
Whoever wins could then face Sabalenka. The top seed will play Marie Bouzkova in the second round.
