Billie Jean King Cup Finals 2024: Emma Raducanu vs Marina Stakusic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (GBR) Emma Raducanu vs (CAN) Marina Stakusic
Date: November 17, 2024
Tournament: Billie Jean King Cup
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Martin Carpena Arena, Malaga, Spain
Surface: Hard (Indoor)
Prize Money: $9.6 million
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - BBC, Tennis Channel Int.| Canada - TVA, CBC
Emma Raducanu vs Marina Stakusic preview
Great Britain's Emma Raducanu will square off against Canada's Marina Stakusic in the quarterfinals of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals 2024.
Raducanu kicked off Britain's campaign in the Finals against Germany's Jule Niemeier. A single break of serve in her favor helped the young Brit clinch the opening set. She raced to a 5-2 lead in the second set and unraveled for a bit after that.
Raducanu held a match point on her own serve but couldn't close out the proceedings and dropped the serve. She held another three match points on Neimeier's serve in the following game and let go of them as well.
She stepped up to serve for the match a second time and got the job done for a 6-4, 6-4 win. Katie Boulter then won her singles tie against Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2 and sealed the deal for the Brits, who won the rubber 2-0.
Defending champion Canada received a bye into the quarterfinals. Stakusic has been on the rise this year and recently won her first title on the Challenger circuit. She also made her Major debut at Wimbledon, though she bowed out in the first round itself.
Stakusic also reached her maiden quarterfinal at the WTA Tour at the Guadalajara Open. She recorded her first win over a top 20 player at the tournament as well after she upset World No. 12 Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.
Emma Raducanu vs Marina Stakusic head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Emma Raducanu vs Marina Stakusic odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Emma Raducanu vs Marina Stakusic prediction
Raducanu was cruising towards an easy win over Niemeier when she got a little tight. However, she got back on track before things got out of hand. She remains unbeaten while representing Britain this year and previously won her two singles ties during the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers earlier this year as well.
Stakusic was instrumental in Canada's run to the title last year and went 3-1 in her singles ties in the Finals. She will be keen to do the same once again this time. She was ranked outside the top 250 last year during this tournament, and now she is on the verge of cracking the top 100.
Recurring injuries have halted Raducanu's momentum quite often this year. However, she has shown glimpses of some great form when healthy. She is also unbeaten against players ranked outside the top 100 this season. The Brit has shown no difficulty in handling lower-ranked players and is likely to maintain her perfect record against them with a win over Stakusic.
Pick: Emma Raducanu to win in straight sets.