Madrid Open 2022: Emma Raducanu's projected opponents as per the draw
Emma Raducanu is currently in the midst of her maiden claycourt season. After charting a quarter-final run in Stuttgart last week, the 19-year-old will head to the Madrid Open, which begins on 28 April.
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The line-up for the WTA 1000 event boasts a slew of A-listers including Naomi Osaka, Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Simona Halep. Raducanu is the No. 9 seed and finds herself in the top half of the draw.
Let's take a look at some of the potential opponents awaiting the reigning US Open in the Spanish city:
Emma Raducanu's first round opponent - Tereza Martincova
Emma Raducanu is slated to kickstart her campaign in Madrid against Tereza Martincova. The duo will face off for the second time this month after the Brit ousted the Czech in straight sets at the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.
While both players have had a lackluster 2022 season thus far, 27-year-old Martincova is yet to open her account on clay. She competed in Istanbul last week but faltered in the opening round against unseeded Hungarian Anna Bondar.
The World No. 49 will be keen to grab her maiden win of the claycourt season in Madrid and is expected to pose a stern challenge to the Brit.
Potential encounter with Junior rivals Clara Tauson or Marta Kostyuk in second round
A win over Martincova will pit Emma Raducanu against either Clara Tauson or Marta Kostyuk. The Brit frequently encountered the duo whilst playing on the junior circuit, and has played them a couple of times on the professional tour.
Raducanu's head-to-head against Tauson is tied at 1-1, while she lost her sole meeting with Kostyuk at the 2021 Transylvania Open.
Clash of Grand Slam champions between either Garbine Muguruza or Sloane Stephens brewing in the third round
If Raducanu reaches the third round, she could face one of fellow Major winners Garbine Muguruza and Sloane Stephens. While the Brit has never faced Muguruza, she did prevail over the American at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Although the tournament hasn't been the ideal hunting ground for the two players, they could still pose a stern challenge to Raducanu and potentially oust the young Brit,
Quarter-final showdown with the unstoppable Iga Swiatek
Should the 2021 US Open champion manage to stay unflinched in her journey to the quarter-finals, she could face her most difficult test yet against top seed Iga Swiatek but the Pole withdrew from the event due to a shoulder injury. Leylah Fernandez replaced Swiatek in the draw and Raducanu could face Fernandez or three-time Madrid Open winner Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals.
Maria Sakkari/Danielle Collins could await Emma Raducanu in the semifinal
Emma Raducanu could face fourth seed Maria Sakkari or the hard-hitting Danielle Collins in the final four.
While she hasn't met Collins before, Raducanu bagged a comprehensive victory over the Greek in their sole encounter at the 2021 US Open.
Aryna Sabalenka/Paula Badosa standing in way of her maiden WTA title
Emma Raducanu knows how to pull off the unfathomable, hence it wouldn't be the biggest shock to see her in the final of her maiden WTA 1000 claycourt event. If she does reach the final, she could come up against either defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, or home favorite Paula Badosa.
The Brit will undoubtedly be the underdog in such a scenario.
Also Check Out :- Madrid Open 2022 Schedule