"I don't think this is my best, I still have a long way to go": Emma Raducanu not satisfied with her performance in Stuttgart Open despite reaching QF
Emma Raducanu continued her red-hot form at the 2024 Stuttgart Open as she dispatched Czech youngster Linda Noskova in their second-round clash on April 18.
Emma Raducanu has recaptured her magic on the clay courts of Stuttgart and displayed her all-round game while ousting Noskova. Raducanu bageled Noskova in the first set and broke her serve in the latter stage of the second set to wrap up a convincing 6-0, 7-5 win.
While the Brit appeared impenetrable during her clash against Noskova and saved the two breakpoints on her serve, she was not satisfied with her performance. In her on-court interview with German tennis star Andrea Petkovic, Raducanu was pleased to see her hard work in training courts be rewarded with wins on the tour.
However, the former US Open champion opined that this is not her best level. Furthermore, Raducanu reflected on the maturity of her mindset, stating that she has learned to live with her losses and is focused on becoming a better player every day.
"I must say I’m not too surprised because I’ve been working really hard on the training court and I knew it was a matter of time. Honestly, I don’t think this is my best. I still have a long way to go," Emma Raducanu said.
"But, I’m just really happy the rewards are starting to come on the match court because you know how it is when you are training day in and day out, and you feel like the results aren't exactly going your way, but it’s never that far away, I guess. And that's something I have been learning. Just doing the right things every single day, and things happen and you don't even know how or why," she added.
Emma Raducanu faces Iga Swiatek in Stuttgart Open QF
With her win over Linda Noskova, Emma Raducanu has set up a high-voltage clash against top seed and two-time defending champion Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinal of the 2024 Stuttgart Open. The Brit reached her first WTA tour quarterfinal since September 2022 after beating home favorite Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova.
Swiatek began her campaign at Stuttgart with a win against Elise Mertens in their second-round match. The Pole will come into the quarterfinal clash with a lot of confidence and an unblemished head-to-head record against Raducanu.
Swiatek defeated the Brit in their previous two contests in straight sets, one of them coming in the quarterfinals of the Stuttgart Open two years ago. Emma Raducanu has won five matches so far on the 2024 WTA tour, bettering the likes of Marie Bouzkova and Shelby Rogers at the Abu Dhabi Open and Australian Open respectively.