Emma Raducanu continued her tremendous clay streak by securing win number four in a row against teenage sensation Linda Noskova.
Noskova and Raducanu had played against each other before this meeting at the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, and the Czech player won that match.
It happened on clay at Roland Garros in 2022, and it was an upset back then. This could technically have been considered an upset because Noskova has improved dramatically this year, scoring some impressive wins, such as the one over Iga Swiatek at the Australian Open.
Of course, Raducanu is a Grand Slam champion who was Top 10 at one point, but her form in recent weeks hasn't been all that great. She found something special in the Billie Jean King Cup, recently winning two complicated matches on clay.
Those matches were played in conditions similar to those in Stuttgart, and it's clearly benefitted Raducanu so far. She won her first match in Stuttgart easily and now added another easy win over Noskova.
The first set saw complete dominance from the British player, as she won the set 6-0 in just 28 minutes. Raducanu absolutely dominated the rallies, crushing the ball as well as ever.
Noskova struggled greatly on her serve, especially under Raducanu's pressure. She would find better tennis in the second set as the former US Open winner cooled down a little bit.
Still, the Brit was the better player and applied heavy pressure, which Noskova was able to survive for a while. Serving better made all the difference for the Czech player, as it is a weapon of hers.
Unfortunately for her, it failed her in the opening set. No resolution came until very late in the second set, when Raducanu finally found break points again.
It was 6-5 for her, so they were match points, and she was able to win. The final score was 6-0, 7-5, as the Brit continues to win, and up next, she will take on Iga Swiatek.
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