Emma Raducanu continued her return to type as she reached the semi-finals of the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington with a straight-sets victory over Maria Sakkari on Friday.
The British No 1 got here from a break down within the second set to beat her Greek opponent 6-4 7-5 and arrange a gathering with both fourth seed Clara Tauson or Anna Kalinskaya within the last 4.
Raducanu had reclaimed her spot because the top-ranked British girl from Katie Boulter on Thursday when she beat two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka.
The win takes Raducanu to her first WTA Tour-level semi-final in over a 12 months as she continues her preparations for subsequent month’s US Open, the place she gained on debut again in 2021.
It arrived on the most popular day of the event as temperatures reached the center 90s, not helped by a back-and-forth contest that took two hours and 10 minutes.
“It was brutal today, thanks to everybody for coming out and sitting in the heat,” mentioned Raducanu of the warmth in her on-court interview.
“If you do not have the skills your physique will fail you, however in some unspecified time in the future it turns into psychological. The primary set was over an hour, it was psychological, it’s important to take pleasure in struggling, as dangerous as that sounds, and depart all of it out on the court docket till you drop.
“I felt a little bit wobbly at the back end of the second set.”
Raducanu discovered herself trailing 0-2 within the opening set after two double faults, earlier than the Brit reeled off the following three video games to take management of the match.
A vital break got here at 4-4 to pave the way in which for her to serve out for the set.
It was Sakkari once more who began the brighter within the second set, as a lot being underlined when she transformed a fourth break level to guide 4-2 after seeing Raducanu hearth her forehand lengthy.
Raducanu sought an instantaneous response solely to squander two break level alternatives, with Sakkari producing two aces to depart herself inside one sport of sending the match to a decider.
With doubles on the horizon later within the day, Raducanu needed no a part of a three-set epic. The 22-year-old held to shut the hole, earlier than then changing a fourth break level to claw her approach again to 5-4 whereas on serve.
Raducanu then acquired therapy in between video games because the physio was referred to as to examine her coronary heart price, such had been the scorching situations in Washington.
However she would not be deterred, holding to like to degree the set at 5-5 after which clinching the following two video games to finish a surprising turnaround.
“I think it’s (her confidence) been building since Miami, I’ve been doing a lot of good work and little by little as you get a few results you build some confidence,” she added.
“Also the amount of work I’m doing behind the scenes, having that in the locker you know you’ve done it and it takes some pressure off the results.
“Maria performed an unbelievable match, these situations actually swimsuit her so I am completely satisfied to have toughed it out.”
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