Emma Raducanu Advances Despite Heavy Rain

Emma Raducanu advanced to the Washington Open quarter-finals, overcoming a two-hour rain delay to defeat American Peyton Stearns 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. Heavy rain interrupted Raducanu’s service game, causing a significant delay. Despite the setback, she successfully secured the first set in a tie-break once play resumed. Raducanu acknowledged the challenge of resuming play after such interruptions, noting it can impact the match’s dynamics.

She expressed gratitude to the crowd for their patience during the late-night match and highlighted the difficulty of playing against Stearns on home soil. Raducanu will next face either wildcard Paula Badosa or third seed Liudmila Samsonova. The world number 89, who is working on her comeback from wrist and ankle surgeries, chose not to compete for Great Britain at the Olympics.

Instead, she is prioritizing hard courts as she prepares for the upcoming US Open. Emma Raducanu is excited to leverage her performance in the Washington Open to build momentum for the upcoming US Open. She aims to replicate her impressive achievement from 2021 when she won the tournament as a qualifier and made history. Reflecting on her recent performances, Raducanu feels she is steadily gaining momentum and refining her game.

She is optimistic about her progress and confident that these improvements will positively impact her upcoming matches.