"She played like she did when she won the US Open" - Martina Navratilova praises Emma Raducanu after back-to-back victories over Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka at 2022 Cincinnati Open
Martina Navratilova showered praise on Emma Raducanu after the World No.13 won her second match in less than 24 hours at the 2022 Cincinnati Open.
After beating Serena Williams in the opening round, the Briton put in another strong performance against Victoria Azarenka. The Brit bageled the Belarusian in the opening set and then also won the second set comprehensively to wrap up the match in straight sets.
This is the first time Raducanu has registered a win over a top-30 player in the WTA rankings since her US Open triumph.
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18-time Grand Slam champion Navratilova said that Raducanu oozed the same form she had shown at the New York Major last year.
“She played like she did when she won the US Open, it’s that simple! She has not had this form since then and I didn’t think she could do it back-to-back because I thought yesterday was mostly because of Serena, but clearly that wasn’t the case, she gets up for the big matches,” Navratilova said, via The Independent.
The 19-year-old will now take on seventh seed Jessica Pegula in the Round of 16 on Thursday.
"I’ve just learned to really zone in internally" - Emma Raducanu on handling pressure
Emma Raducanu hogged the limelight after she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam at the US Open in 2021. However, since that stunning victory, she has struggled to find any form on the tour, leading to different opinions from the experts, fans and just about everyone else.
Speaking at her post-match press conference, the youngster said that she is trying to learn to keep her emotions in check during the big matches, which is helping her reap rewards.
“I’ve realised in the last year that people are going to talk regardless of what you do. Things that I do are maybe more amplified because of my situation. But I’ve just learned to really zone in internally,” she said, adding, “Like today and yesterday I didn’t really show any emotion, didn’t let myself get high or low, I was just at one level.”
Raducanu will look to continue her good form before the US Open, which begins on August 29. As the defending champion, she will enter Flushing Meadows with some expectations on her young shoulders.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results