Emma Raducanu Dominates Daria Kasatkina to Continue Strong Clay-Court Run at Internationaux de Strasbourg
Emma Raducanu showcased her growing prowess on clay courts with a commanding first-round victory over sixth seed Daria Kasatkina at the Internationaux de Strasbourg. The British No. 2, building on her impressive form, defeated world No. 17 Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3 in a confident performance ahead of the French Open.
Raducanu’s win marks a significant milestone as she prepares for the Grand Slam starting this Sunday. Last week, she made history by winning three matches on clay for the first time, reaching the last 16 of the Italian Open. This latest triumph breaks her previous streak against Kasatkina, who recently switched her national allegiance to Australia, having lost all three of their prior encounters.
The match started explosively for Raducanu, who broke Kasatkina’s serve in the opening game. Despite losing her own serve immediately afterward, Raducanu won five consecutive games to take the first set 6-1. She continued her momentum in the second set, quickly establishing a 2-0 lead with a strong serve and break. Kasatkina briefly fought back, but Raducanu regained control with five successive service breaks, setting up a chance to serve for the match at 5-3.
Although Raducanu faced resistance, missing two match points and nearly losing a third, she sealed the victory on her fourth attempt, showcasing her mental toughness under pressure.
In her post-match interview, Raducanu expressed growing confidence on clay: “To bring that level here, I’m really proud. I think as I spend more time on clay, I’m starting to get to like it a little bit more, and I’m kind of building my relationship with the surface.”
Next, Raducanu will face American Danielle Collins, who defeated Sofia Kenin in a three-set battle.
Additional British Tennis Updates:
Harriet Dart exited early from French Open qualifying, losing 6-1, 6-2 to Anastasiia Sobolieva, who delivered a strong performance with multiple service breaks.
At the ATP Geneva Open, British player Jacob Fearnley cruised past Serbian wildcard Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-1 to set up a match against fifth seed Alexei Popyrin. Fearnley’s consistent serving and breaking were key to his straight-sets victory.
Cameron Norrie also opened his Geneva campaign with a win, defeating Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker 7-6(2), 6-3.
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