Wimbledon: Raducanu revels in Centre Court fun as fan favourite downs Sakkari

By Sports Desk July 05, 2024

Emma Raducanu enjoyed herself on Centre Court as she stormed into the fourth round at Wimbledon by beating Maria Sakkari.

Raducanu made light work of the ninth seed on Friday to claim a statement win, triumphing 6-2 6-3.

The 21-year-old, who was handed a wildcard into the event, has now matched her best run at the All England Club.

Raducanu was in dominant form against Sakkari, as she continued her run of having not dropped a set at the tournament.

The 2021 US Open champion saved all seven of the break points she faced, and reflecting on her display, Raducanu said it was one of her most enjoyable experiences.

"Today was really up there with the most fun I’ve had on a tennis court," she said.

"I was telling myself, 'How many times in your life are you going to have in front of a full Centre Court?'"

Qualifier Lulu Sun is next up for Raducanu, as she aims to beat her run from the 2021 tournament, which set the tone for her incredible success at Flushing Meadows.

Data Debrief: Best of British

At the age of 21 years and 234 days, Raducanu is the second-youngest player from Great Britain in the past four decades to defeat a WTA top-10 ranked opponent at a grand slam.

The youngest player on that particular list is Laura Robson, who defeated Li Na at the US Open in 2012.

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