Eastbourne 2024: Emma Raducanu vs Sloane Stephens preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Rothesay International
Match Details
Fixture: (WC) Emma Raducanu vs Sloane Stephens
Date: June 25, 2024
Tournament: Rothesay International 2024
Round: First Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Devonshire Park LTC, Eastbourne, United Kingdom
Category: WTA 500
Surface: Grass
Prize Money: $922,573
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Tennis Channel, BBC | Canada - TSN+
Emma Raducanu vs Sloane Stephens preview
Former US Open champions Emma Raducanu and Sloane Stephens will clash in a first-round showdown at the 2024 Rothesay International.
Raducanu lost in the first round of the Madrid Open, which marked an end to her campaign on clay. She returned to action for the grass swing at the Rothesay Open in Nottingham.
The Brit faced qualifier Ena Shibahara in the first round and beat her 6-1, 6-4. She dispatched her next opponent, Daria Snigur, 6-2, 6-2 to reach her second quarterfinal of the season.
Raducanu was up against fellow Brit Francesa Jones for a spot in the semifinals. Unfortunately, the latter gave a walkover to send the 2021 US Open champion into the last four for the first time this year, and for the first time since the 2022 Korea Open.
Raducanu played against defending champion Katie Boulter in the semifinal. The former nabbed a closely contested first set in the tie-break but couldn't sustain the momentum and lost the match 6-7 (13), 6-3, 6-4.
After a solid start, Stephens concluded her clay swing on a four-match losing streak. Looking to start anew on grass, she arrived in Birmingham for the Rothesay Classic, her first tournament on the surface.
Stephens ended her losing skid with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over Yuan Yue in the first round. However, her journey came to an end in the second round with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Emma Raducanu vs Sloane Stephens head-to-head
Raducanu leads Stephens 1-0 in the head-to-head. She won their previous encounter at the 2022 Australian Open in three sets.
Emma Raducanu vs Sloane Stephens odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Emma Raducanu vs Sloane Stephens prediction
Raducanu gave a good account of herself in her first tournament on grass, considering it was her first time competing on the surface since 2022. Stephens suffered another early exit to kickstart her time on grass. Since winning the title in Rouen a couple of months ago, the American's results have taken a nosedive.
Raducanu certainly fancies playing on grass, that too in front of her home crowd. Before her famed US Open run, she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in her Major debut. She previously beat Stephens in their only other match, which was a three-set tussle at the Australian Open a couple of years ago.
Stephens' inconsistency makes it hard to predict her performance on any given day. Raducanu has slightly tweaked her game and the immediate result was a semifinal finish in Nottingham. Based on their most recent outing, the Brit will be favored to one-up her older rival once again.
Pick: Emma Raducanu to win in three sets.