Emma Raducanu Sets Up Tasty Showdown with Iga Swiatek
Australian Open
January 16, 2025
Emma Raducanu scribbled an upbeat “fourth time lucky” on the TV camera as an adoring Melbourne crowd embraced her latest success.
Iga Swiatek has denied Emma progress three times before elsewhere. The enigmatic Brit knows the size of the challenge ahead at the Australian Open.
The former US Open champion had just defeated America’s Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-5 in a tricky contest that had seen her fall behind in both sets.
It had required a controversial medical time out to turn the tide in the second. But there was certainly nothing wrong with Emma’s movement as she fought back to seal the match with some free-flowing stroke play.
And a delighted Radicanu was soon looking ahead to a delicious third-round clash with number two seed Swiatek.
Emma Raducanu aginst Iga Swiatek is a match-up Centre Court at Wimbledon 2025 would gladly embrace too!
Raducanu knows she has lost all three of their contests so far in straight sets. In a sense, neutral observers would suggest, the writing is on the wall.
But from those past reverses, Emma also knows she can play well enough to trouble Swiatek. She has taken Iga to a tie-break on her day. Now she wants that elusive victory – and she has to stay positive.
Fourth time lucky? Raducanu would have to serve like a dream, because you sense there would be no turning of the tables if she fell significantly behind against the ruthless Swiatek.
Against Anisimova, she trailed 1-3 and 0-3 in the first and second respectively. It took all Raducanu’s courage and match management to break her opponent’s rhythm.
Now she can come out swinging freely against Swiatek – and hope that raw aggression and lack of pressure can lead to some early impetus.
‘I’ve nothing to lose, I’m going to be swinging and I can’t wait to play in front of you guys again,’ Emma said to great cheers during her on-court, post-match interview.
Jacob Fearnley must be sharing that mindset in the build-up to his own showdown against one of the world’s best – Sascha Zverev.
That mouth-watering match comes after Fearnley downed Arthur Cazaux 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.
And Jack Draper takes on Aleksandar Vukic after edging the home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis in a thrilling five-setter.
Emma Raducanu, Jack Draper and Jacob Fearnley will surely light up Wimbledon 2025 with their courageous play too.
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