By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 28, 2021
"I don’t think I’m the finished product yet," said an energized Emma Raducanu after stopping Ana Bogdan 6-3, 6-4 to charge into the Transylvania Open quarterfinals.
Photo credit: @TransylvaniaOpn
Formula 1 fan Emma Raducanu knows all about the thrills of riding the road less traveled.
The 18-year-old Briton made history as the first qualifier—male or female—to win a Grand Slam singles title at last month’s US Open. Raducanu raced through 10 consecutive straight-sets wins becoming the first British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977 to win a major—and earning the rare distinction of winning a Slam before she’d won a WTA Tour-level match.
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Riding her Romanian roots in an energetic return, Raducanu continues to accelerate through the learning curve scoring a 6-3, 6-4 win over Ana Bogdan today to charge into the Transylvania Open quarterfinals.
It is the second Tour-level win of Raducanu’s young career following her two hour, 27-minute triumph over Polona Hercog in her opener.
Afterward, Raducanu said more match mileage brings her closer to the player she wants to be.
“I think it’s definitely taken me some time to find my feet still,” Raducanu said. “I’m just taking some learning from every match that I played and I don’t think I’m the finished product yet.
“I’m still learning from every match, taking the experience and loving my time in this tournament here so far.”
In this first meeting between the pair, Raducanu showed the skills that fueled her Flushing Meadows run.
The world No. 23 adopted aggressive court positioning hovering near the baseline, whipped the wide serve to open the court, moved fluidly and played pivotal points with plenty of positive emotion and often aggression.
Raducanu served 69 percent, won 35 of 40 first-serve points and denied three of four break points in a strong 90-minute performance. Most importantly, Raducanu has looked more relaxed and eager in a homecoming of sorts— Raducanu’s dad Ian is Romanian and she speaks the language—than she did in Indian Wells earlier this month.
Playing before some Transylvania Open tournament staffers, Raducanu said she missed the fans but felt the connection with staff who helped her rev the competitive engine as she charged out to a 3-0 lead.
“It was so good to play a Romanian,” Raducanu said. “I loved to have the crowd here. It wasn’t the fans, unfortunately, but all of the volunteers who go into making this tournament possible we really appreciate all your hard work so thank you very much.
“I just loved playing with some noise again against Ana who’s a really great opponent.”
The third-seeded Raducanu served out the 39-minute opener at love when Bogdan’s backhand strayed wide. The British teenager won 86 percent of her first-serve points and erased all three break points she faced in the opening set.
Level after six games in the second set, Bogdan saved a couple of break points. Raducanu rapped sharp successive crosscourt backhands banging out her third break of the day for a 4-3 lead.
A smooth running forehand winner brought Raducanu triple match point and she closed on an error.
Next up for Raducanu is a compelling all-teen quarterfinal clash vs. talented 19-year-old Marta Kostyuk.
Earlier, the sixth-seeded Kostyuk broke in the last game of both sets defusing hard-hitting German Mona Barthel 6-4, 6-4.