‘It’s that simple!’ – Emma Raducanu recapturing US Open form asserts Martina Navratilova

Emma Raducanu is playing her best tennis since the US Open in the lead up to defending her 2021 Slam title according to 18-time Major winner Martina Navratilova. 

The world number 13 backed up her 6-4, 6-0 victory over Serena Williams with another stunning win over Victoria Azarenka, downing the Belarusian 6-0, 6-2 to reach the third round in Cincinnati.

Such a rampant Raducanu has caught the eye of four-time US Open singles champion Navratilova, who believes the 19-year-old is improving well towards New York.

“She played like she did when she won the US Open, it’s that simple!” Navratilova explained after the win. “She has not had this form since then and I didn’t think she could do it back-to-back because I thought yesterday was mostly because of Serena, but clearly that wasn’t the case, she gets up for the big matches.”

The victory over Azarenka is Raducanu’s first over a top 30 player since her US Open triumph last September.

Across her two Cincinnati matches, the Brit has dropped just six games and given up just nine unforced errors.

Raducanu described how she has shifted her attitude on court, saying: “I’ve realised in the last year that people are going to talk regardless of what you do. Things that I do are maybe more amplified because of my situation. But I’ve just learned to really zone in internally.

“Like today and yesterday I didn’t really show any emotion, didn’t let myself get high or low, I was just at one level.”

That level is working well for the 10th seed as she takes on seventh seed Jessica Pegula next for a place in the quarter-finals.

 

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