Emma Raducanu delivered one of the most dramatic turnarounds of her career as she overturned a five-game deficit in the opening set to defeat Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan and book her place in the quarter-finals of the Transylvania Open in Romania.
Competing in just her second match since parting ways with coach Francis Roig, the British number one showed resilience, composure and attacking intent to secure a 7-5, 6-1 victory, winning an astonishing 11 consecutive games during the match.
Speaking after the contest, Raducanu paid tribute to the crowd for helping her through a difficult opening spell.
“Thank you so much for the support,” she said. “It really helped me through some tricky moments early on. Kaja came out playing great tennis and put me under pressure straight away.”
Early struggles turn into belief
The match initially appeared to be slipping away from Raducanu. Juvan, ranked 97 in the world, raced into a commanding 5-0 lead in the first set, striking the ball cleanly and forcing Raducanu deep behind the baseline.
Raducanu admitted she was attempting to play aggressively but lacked precision in the opening stages.
“I felt like I was going for my shots, trying to play on my terms,” she explained. “I wasn’t executing properly at the start, but at least the intent was there. That was important for me mentally.”
Facing the prospect of losing the opening set without winning a game, Raducanu finally found a foothold. A perfectly struck cross-court forehand winner helped her break serve in the sixth game, earning her first game of the match and igniting a shift in momentum.
Momentum swings dramatically
From that point on, the contest transformed. Raducanu began timing her groundstrokes better, stepping inside the court and dictating rallies with her forehand.
The top seed broke Juvan twice more as the Slovenian struggled to close out the set, failing on three separate attempts to serve for it. What had looked like a straightforward opening set for Juvan suddenly became a tense battle.
At 5-5, Raducanu’s confidence surged. She held serve with authority to move ahead 6-5, celebrating with a loud scream and clenched fist that reflected both relief and belief.
In the following game, Raducanu seized her opportunity, converting her second set point to complete a remarkable comeback and take the opening set 7-5.
“I don’t think I’ve ever come back from 5-0 down before,” Raducanu admitted. “So that’s a first for me and something I’ll definitely remember.”
Second set dominance
The momentum Raducanu built at the end of the first set carried seamlessly into the second.
Although she was forced to save a break point in the opening game, Raducanu held firm before immediately breaking Juvan to love. That proved to be the decisive moment, as her opponent’s resistance began to fade.
Raducanu continued to apply relentless pressure, moving swiftly around the court and finishing points confidently at the net when opportunities arose. She raced into a 4-0 lead, extending her streak to 11 games in a row.
Juvan managed to halt the run by breaking serve, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished. Raducanu regained her focus, winning the next two games to close out the match 6-1 in one hour and 37 minutes.
The victory sends Raducanu into the quarter-finals, where she will face Poland’s Maja Chwalinska, as she continues her bid for the WTA 250 title.
Signs of progress post-coaching split
This performance offered encouraging signs for Raducanu as she navigates a new phase in her career following her split with Roig. Her ability to reset mentally after a disastrous start underlined her growing maturity and problem-solving skills on court.
As the top seed in Cluj-Napoca, expectations remain high, but Raducanu’s resilience in this match suggested she is learning how to manage adversity more effectively — a crucial skill at the elite level.
Kartal capitalises as Bencic withdraws
Elsewhere on the WTA Tour, Sonay Kartal advanced to the quarter-finals of the Abu Dhabi Open after her scheduled opponent, Belinda Bencic, was forced to withdraw due to illness.
Bencic, the defending champion and world number nine, made headlines last year by becoming the first mother since May 2023 to win a WTA singles title, lifting the Abu Dhabi trophy just four months after returning from maternity leave.
Her withdrawal handed Kartal a revised opponent in Renata Zarazua, who entered the draw as a lucky loser.
Kartal wasted little time on court, producing a composed and efficient performance to defeat the Mexican 6-0, 6-3 in just 57 minutes.
The British number two, ranked 61 in the world, had already impressed by coming through two qualifying rounds before defeating Spain’s Cristina Busca in the opening round.
Kartal will now face 20-year-old Czech prospect Sara Bejlek in the quarter-finals as she continues her strong run.
Boulter reaches last eight in Ostrava
Another positive result for British tennis came from Katie Boulter, who secured her place in the quarter-finals of the Ostrava Open with a commanding straight-sets victory over Swiss fifth seed Viktorija Golubic.
Boulter, 29, delivered a dominant display, dropping just two games in each set to underline her control throughout the match.
The win marks the first time since the Nottingham Open in June that Boulter has won back-to-back main-draw singles matches, providing a timely boost as she looks to build momentum this season.
She will now meet either fourth seed Rebecca Sramkova or Linda Fruhvirtova for a place in the semi-finals.
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