Emma Raducanu says her Wimbledon run has "fuelled the fire" as she looks to return to her best form.

Raducanu, who stormed to a shock US Open win in 2021, has endured a difficult few years.

Yet she looked strong in her opening three rounds at Wimbledon, dumping out Maria Sakkari en route to a tie with qualifier Lulu Sun on Sunday.

However, with the odds in her favour, Raducanu failed to deliver as Sun prevailed 6-2 5-7 6-2 to claim a surprise victory. 

With Aryna Sabalenka having withdrawn and both Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek also crashing out over the weekend, a path to glory might have opened up for Raducanu.

Instead, she is aiming to use an encouraging run at the All England Club as motivation for the rest of the season.

"I feel good about things going forwards. I feel optimistic," said Raducanu.

"As bitter as it is to take, I think [this defeat] happened for a reason.

"You don't want things to happen too easily and too quickly. I had that before. I don't necessarily want just a massive spike.

"Six months ago when I was starting out after surgery, I would have signed for the fourth round at Wimbledon.

"Of course I'm disappointed. Of course, I want more. It fuels the fire and makes me more hungry."

Raducanu has received some criticism, though, for withdrawing from the mixed doubles event on the eve of her match with Sun.

That withdrawal marked the end of Andy Murray's farewell Wimbledon appearance.

Emma Raducanu has no regrets over her decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles tournament at Wimbledon, a call that ended Andy Murray's career at SW19.

The 2021 US Open champion was due to play alongside Murray on Saturday, in what would have been the Scot's final entry at a tournament where he has won two singles titles, ahead of his expected retirement later this year.

Murray was unable to play singles after undergoing back surgery but did appear alongside brother Jamie in the men's doubles on Thursday, losing in straight sets to John Peers and Rinky Hijikata.

Raducanu cited soreness in her wrist as she withdrew from the mixed doubles to prioritise her singles campaign, which ended with Sunday's last-16 defeat to Lulu Sun.

She is certain she made the right choice, saying after her elimination: "It was a very difficult decision. Of course, I didn't want to take his last match away from him. 

"But I think a lot of players in a similar situation would have done the same thing, prioritising their body. I still stand by making the right call.

"I don't think I would have done it any other way. I think in this sport especially, as an individual, you have to make your own calls and prioritise yourself."

Raducanu's withdrawal caused controversy on social media as Murray's mother Judy described the news as "astonishing" on X, later insisting the post was sarcastic and suggesting the tournament's scheduling had forced Raducanu's hand.

Asked about that initial post, Raducanu claimed she had not seen it before adding: "I'm sure she didn't mean it."

Coco Gauff suffered a surprise exit in the last 16 at Wimbledon as Emma Navarro claimed a huge straight-sets victory over her fellow American on Centre Court.

Second seed Gauff entered the match hoping to reach the last eight for the fifth time in her last six grand slam entries, but the US Open champion was stunned by her compatriot.

Nineteenth seed Navarro needed just 76 minutes to wrap up a 6-4 6-3 victory, advancing to the quarter-finals at a major for the first time in her career.

The 23-year-old was broken to love five games into the opener but that setback only spurred her on as she hit back immediately, eventually claiming the second break in the 10th game with a fine passing shot down the line. 

Gauff looked nervous at the start of the second set, a double fault and a wayward forehand handing Navarro a break four games in, though the world number two forced her opponent to serve it out after fending off a potential second break.

Navarro failed to convert her first two match points, but it was third time lucky as Gauff crashed a return into the net, sealing the biggest win of Navarro's career.

"I'm just really grateful to be out on Centre Court, where so many legends have played before me, it's a real honour and I just can't wait to play again," Navarro said afterwards.

"It's probably my favourite court I've ever played on. The fans, the atmosphere… just having my family and my team watch me was so special.

"I played really aggressively. Coco's an amazing player, I have respect for her and everything she's done, but I wanted to push back against her and I think I did that."

Data Debrief: Navarro flying the flag

Navarro will now face seventh seed and French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini for a place in the semi-finals, with Gauff following fellow heavyweights Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek out of the draw.

She is just the fourth American woman to beat a top-two ranked player at Wimbledon, after both Venus and Serena Williams and Alison Riske. 

Emma Raducanu was stunned in the Wimbledon round of 16 as qualifier Lulu Sun claimed a remarkable victory to eliminate the Centre Court favourite on Sunday.

Raducanu needed a lengthy medical stoppage after extending too far and injuring her left knee in the opening game of the deciding set, but was unable to recover as Sun emerged a 6-2 5-7 6-2 victor. 

Featuring in the fourth round of a major for the first time since her breakout 2021 season, Raducanu seemed caught up by the occasion as qualifier Sun raced into a 3-0 lead by breaking twice.

Raducanu fought back to break and reduce the deficit to 3-1, though again faltered on her serve as the world number 123 snatched the third break-point opportunity to move 5-2 up and then sealed the first set.

The 2021 US Open champion regained her composure in the second set, yet frustrations were clear when Raducanu failed to grasp two break points in Sun's second serving game.

Home favourite Raducanu channelled those frustrations into her efforts, however, entertaining the crowd with a delicate drop shot before lobbing her opponent en route to levelling at 1-1.

That second-set marathon lasted a mammoth one hour and 13 minutes, and there was cause for concern when Raducanu slipped after stretching to her right, jarring her left knee in the opening game of the decider.

The 21-year-old required a three-minute medical time-out as Centre Court fell into a hesitant silence, but the crowd erupted as the Brit was able to continue, smashing an ace on the first point of her return.

Celebrations were short-lived, however, as Sun broke Raducanu's opening service game and never looked back. She saw one match point come and go, but made no mistake when the second one came around. 

The winner plays Donna Vekic, who beat Paula Badosa.

World number 123 Sun is the only qualifier still in the women's singles, and impressed on her Centre Court bow.

Data Debrief: Sun's dream Wimbledon run continues

Sun became the seventh qualifier to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the Open Era after Carina Karlsson (1984), Molly Van Nostrand (1985), Alexandra Stevenson (1999), Jelena Dokic (1999), Roberta Beltrame (2006) and Kaia Kanepi (2010).

Sun is also the second-lowest ranked (#123) player in the last 15 editions of the tournament to make the women’s singles quarter-finals at the Championships - ranked higher only than Serena Williams in 2018 (#181).

The New Zealander impressed on her Centre Court debut, scoring 50 winners along with converting five break points. 

Jasmine Paolini advanced to her first Wimbledon quarter-final after an entertaining clash with Madison Keys was cut short when the 12th seed retired injured on Sunday.

French Open finalist Paolini progressed to the last eight with a 6-3 6-7 (6-7) 5-5 victory, though the Italian was on the brink of an exit before that.

The seventh seed trailed 5-2 in the deciding set before dragging back into the contest by winning two games, with Keys then calling for the physio and a medical time-out due to a thigh issue.

American Keys was visibly distraught after leaving the court for treatment, returning to concede another game and struggling to serve before retiring with the game finely poised.

Paolini will now face either Emma Navarro or Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals at SW19.

Data Debrief: Paolini's Italian pride

Paolini became the first Italian in the Open Era to reach the women's singles quarter-final at Wimbledon and Roland-Garros in the same season, having fallen in the French Open final to Iga Swiatek.

Having never won a match at Wimbledon before this year, Paolini has now won four straight, though this triumph came in unwanted circumstances.

Keys is only the second player in the Open Era to retire in the third set of a women's singles round-of-16 clash at a major, after Julie Heldman progressed past Billie Jean King via retirement at the US Open in 1973.

Iga Swiatek suffered a shock third-round exit at Wimbledon as the top seed fell to world number 35 Yulia Putintseva on Saturday.

Despite taking the first set, Swiatek was outclassed by the world number 35, falling to a 3-6 6-1 6-2 defeat on No. 1 Court.

The world number one had to wait until the eighth game to undo Putintseva, earning her first break point before closing out the set in dominant fashion.

Though many predicted Swiatek to hammer home her advantage, the Kazakh had other ideas. 

Putintseva responded emphatically, cutting through Swiatek to battle into her first round of 16 at Wimbledon and first at any major since making the 2020 US Open quarter-finals. 

Jelena Ostapenko awaits in the clash for a last-eight position on Monday after the Latvian needed just 59 minutes to win 6-1 6-3 against Bernarda Pera earlier in the day.

Data Debrief: Swiatek's Wimbledon hoodoo continues

Putintseva is the first women's player since Alison Riske against Ashleigh Barty in 2019 to win against the world number one at Wimbledon after losing the first set.

In stark contrast between the pair, Putintseva extended her win streak to eight matches after ending Swiatek's own run of 21 straight wins.

Swiatek still leaves the third major of the year with an outstanding 45-5 record on the season, yet grass-court tennis and Wimbledon remain a troublesome issue for the Pole.

Andy Murray's Wimbledon career came to an early end after Emma Raducanu pulled out of their planned appearance in the mixed doubles.

The pair were due to team up on Saturday in what would have been Murray's final event appearance at Wimbledon ahead of his retirement.

However, Raducanu has withdrawn from the event due to stiffness in her right wrist.

The 21-year-old booked her place in the women’s singles fourth round on Friday with another commanding win, beating Maria Sakkart in straight sets.

"I have decided to make the very tough decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles," Raducanu said.

"I’m disappointed as I was really looking forward to playing with Andy, but I've got to take care."

Murray, a two-time singles champion at Wimbledon, had already pulled out of the men's event after having minor surgery on his back in the build-up to the tournament.

It means the 37-year-old played his last game at All England Club on Thursday when he and older brother Jamie were knocked out of the men's doubles in the first round.

Murray is set to finish his career at the Paris Olympics later this month, competing in both the singles and the doubles, alongside Dan Evans.

World number two Coco Gauff proved far too strong for qualifier Sonay Kartal as she eased into the last 16 at Wimbledon on Friday.

Kartal, the first female British qualifier to reach the third round at the All England Club since 1997, had eliminated Sorana Cirstea and Clara Burel to reach this stage.

But Gauff represented a clear step up and, after a slightly testing first set, accelerated to a 6-4 6-0 win.

The US Open champion has never been beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon but will get the opportunity to do so against Emma Navarro on Sunday.

"I've never come out with someone like Coco before," said 298th-ranked Kartal. "There's a reason why she is where she is, number two in the world.

"She played some unbelievable tennis in that second set."

Data Debrief: Gauff's glass ceiling?

Gauff's breakout main-draw run at a major came at Wimbledon in 2019 when she reached the fourth round, but she has since surpassed that performance at each of the other three grand slams, most notably triumphing at Flushing Meadows.

Crucially, however, the 20-year-old has plenty of time on her side as she seeks to make strides at the grass-court major.

Indeed, not since Agnieszka Radwanska, in 2009, has a younger women's player reached the fourth round at Wimbledon for a third time. Gauff will hope it is third time lucky.

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.

Iga Swiatek underlined her status as favourite in the women's draw at Wimbledon by beating Petra Martic in straight sets on Thursday to reach the third round.

The world number one, who has never previously gone beyond the quarter-finals at SW19, was a 6-4 6-3 victor in one hour and 20 minutes on Centre Court.

Martic held her own until the 10th game of the opening set but the first break point she gave up was converted by Swiatek, who came through strong pressure in several games on her own serve.

The second set followed a similar pattern, Swiatek needing two break points this time as she made the breakthrough eight games in.

Martic was a beaten player from there as Swiatek served out her final game to love, a crashing forehand winner teeing up three match points, and a big serve on the first giving world number 79 Martic no chance.

Data Debrief: Swiatek replicates Serena run

Swiatek has now won 21 consecutive matches as world number one, the longest such streak by any player on the WTA Tour since Serena Williams had an identical run between the 2014 WTA Finals and the 2015 Madrid Open.

She has also made at least the round of 32 at 18 consecutive grand slams. 

In the Open Era, only Martina Navratilova (35), Conchita Martinez (30), Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (25) and Steffi Graf (19) have ever done so at more majors in a row.

 

Emma Raducanu simply could not refuse a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to partner her "hero" Andy Murray in the Wimbledon mixed doubles.

Murray pulled out of the men's singles draw on Tuesday after having minor surgery on a troublesome back issue, but confirmed he would partner brother Jamie for the doubles on the male side of the draw.

The two-time Wimbledon singles champion will be in action in another competition, too, after the tournament granted Raducanu and Murray a wild-card entry to the mixed doubles draw.

Speaking after sweeping aside Elise Mertens 6-2 6-2 in the women's singles second round on Wednesday, Raducanu revelled in her chance to play with Murray.

"My doubles record isn't exactly the longest, or the most vast, but I couldn't say no," Raducanu said after her victory over Mertens. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It's been a dream of mine since I was a young girl, since watching the Olympics. Andy's a hero to all of us.

"So for me, it's a real gift and it's a real honour that he asked me and it's a moment that I could never say no to.

"And I'm just super excited to be on the mixed doubles court and hopefully learn a thing or two about coming to the net or something!"

Murray suggested there has always been a desire to partner Raducanu, with two of the biggest names in British tennis now joining forces.

"We'd spoken about it during the COVID year but obviously both of us were doing quite well in the singles and it didn't happen," Murray said after his practice session at the All England Club.

"Last night I messaged her coach and asked if he thought it might be something she'd be up for doing.

"He said it was worth asking, so I did. It was quite late yesterday evening when I sent the message, it would have been after 9 p.m. so I was a bit worried she might have been in bed.

"But I got a quick reply. She said: 'Yeah, let's do it.' That was it."

A tough test awaits for the newly formed pair, however, after being drawn to face Marcelo Arevalo and Zhang Shuai in the first round.

Arevalo secured French Open men's doubles glory for the second time last month, while Zhang is a two-time major champion in the same format.

Former world number Naomi Osaka was outclassed in the Wimbledon second round as in-form Emma Navarro eased to a straight-sets victory on Wednesday.

Osaka was unconvincing in an opening-round win over 53rd-ranked Diane Parry before Navarro, the 19th seed at the All England Club, proved too strong on Centre Court.

Navarro never faced a break point in a one-sided showdown, triumphing 6-4 6-1 in just under an hour against the four-time major champion.

The 23-year-old was offered a glorious opportunity in the first set at 3-3 when Osaka fired four straight unforced errors to hand Navarro the advantage.

A poor volley attempt spelt the end for Osaka in the second set as Navarro cruised home in quick time with 16 winners and only five unforced errors.

Navarro has now reached the third round at all three majors this year as Diana Shnaider, who cruised past 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens on the same day, awaits for her next clash in SW19.

Data Debrief: Osaka's grass-court struggles persist

Osaka has now never beaten a top-20 player on grass courts in six attempts, with this another reminder of Navarro's ruthless quality.

This was her first appearance on Wimbledon's famed Centre Court, yet Navarro never looked troubled in a routine triumph.

A tougher test will follow in the third round, however, as Shnaider has downed Navarro twice this year, most recently just last week in the Bad Homburg Open semi-finals en route to winning the tournament.

Emma Raducanu cruised through her second-round meeting with Elise Mertens in straight sets at Wimbledon.

While she was put to the test in the first round, Raducanu made little fuss as she earned a 6-1 6-2 victory on Court 1.

Raducanu won the first five games of first set, but even after dropping one, she saved a break point to take the opener.

She went on another impressive five-game win streak in the second, with Mertens unable to launch any real counter against the Brit, who was in fine form.

Next up for Raducanu is either Arantxa Rus or Maria Sakkari in the next round.

Data Debrief: Raducanu maintains her high level

Raducanu described her first round victory as "winning ugly" but that was not the case on Wednesday.

Since 2000, the 21-year-old (16-7) is one of only two British female players with a winning record (playing a minimum of five matches) at grand slam events, along with Johanna Konta (39-29).

She is also the third British player in the Open Era to hold a winning percentage of 70% or higher in Women’s Singles Grand Slam matches (70.8%), along with Ann Jones (85.3%) and Virginia Wade (71.3%).

Raducanu is now just one round away from matching her best result at Wimbledon, having reached the fourth round in 2021. 

Coco Gauff continued her serene start at Wimbledon with an emphatic victory over Anca Todoni in the second round.

Having dropped just three games in her first-round win two days ago, Gauff was similarly dominant as she triumphed 6-2 6-1 on Court One in just 66 minutes.

Gauff did not drop serve in Wednesday's match and was particularly ruthless while closing out victory in the second set.

The second seed's section of the draw opened up nicely after Sorana Cirstea suffered an early exit, and she will play an unseeded opponent again in round three, either Sonay Kartal or Clara Burel.

Data Debrief: Gauff in fine form

Gauff has become an established grand slam performer and is one of only four players on the WTA Tour with more than 50 major wins since the start of 2020. This was her 51st.

The American needs just one more of those wins to match her previous best Wimbledon result, having reached the fourth round twice before, in 2019 and 2021.

But given her current momentum, Gauff will have bigger ambitions than that. 

While anything other than victories would have been stunning upsets across the first two rounds, the emphatic nature of her wins over Caroline Dolehide and qualifier Todoni will come as a huge boost.

Gauff has only been broken once across her two matches so far, and she won 17 of her 20 first-serve points in this match.

Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu will play the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon as a wildcard entry.

Murray has been struggling with a back injury in recent weeks, for which he needed minor surgery, and pulled out of the men's singles on Tuesday.

However, he confirmed he would still be competing in the men's doubles alongside older brother Jamie.

The two-time singles champion is playing at Wimbledon for the final time before retiring later this year.

It will be Murray's fourth appearance in the mixed doubles, most notably pairing up with Serena Williams in 2019, making it to the third round.

2021 US Open champion Raducanu has already advanced to the second round in the women's singles and will play in the mixed doubles for the first time at a grand slam.

The pair are playing together for the first time, with the first round of the event scheduled for Friday and Saturday. They will find out their first opponents on Wednesday.

Page 2 of 100
© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.