Emma Raducanu’s immaturity is reinforced with each new week of competition, one year into her apprenticeship as a rising star in her sport. She played her first professional doubles match just two weeks ago. She has never faced multiple grand slam champions before this week when she defeated two in succession. Thursday evening marked the second time in her career that she faced a top-10 opponent.
Jessica Pegula, one of the most improved players in recent years, stood in front of Raducanu, and on a cool night in Mason, Ohio, the American displayed the level required to compete with the very best players in the world as she halted Raducanu’s impressive run at the Western & Southern Open.
Pegula’s superior firepower and consistency allowed her to overcome Raducanu 7-5, 6-4 in the third round during a tough match that demanded high-octane first-strike tennis.
While Raducanu faltered, Cameron Norrie’s excellent run in Mason continued with a smooth, efficient victory. Norrie advanced to the quarterfinals with ease, defeating 19-year-old American wildcard Ben Shelton 6-0, 6-2, despite his third-round match being postponed late into the night.
Even in defeat, Raducanu was pleased with her progression over the week, comparing the freedom she felt to her US Open championship run. She remarked, “It’s a relief because I feel as though I’m swinging with the same degree of freedom that I probably had last year.” Therefore, it feels quite pleasant. I believe that this has been a fantastic week, and I feel like I’m headed in the right way once more.”
After defeating Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-0, and 6-0, 6-2, respectively, Raducanu faced a fresh obstacle. Pegula may lack the accomplishments of Raducanu’s previous opponents, but she has a proven track record.
She established herself in the top 10 at the age of 28, after having spent the majority of her career outside the top 100, and is currently playing the best tennis of her life.
These attributes have propelled Pegula to seventh in the standings and third in the WTA race.
She was determined to seize control, stepping inside the baseline and hitting forehands with laser precision all day long. Raducanu replied initially well, stifling Pegula’s weak second serves and attempting to seize the momentum. Pegula’s superior raw power and security off both wings set her apart, and her level never dropped.
From her 10 straight-set victories in New York to her thrashings of Williams and Azarenka, Raducanu had played very few tight, high-quality matches against top players before Thursday night. Raducanu performed admirably, but Pegula was superior.
“She has, I don’t know, eight or nine years on me, so I believe if I keep practicing and it’s fantastic to be exposed to these types of opponents who have been doing these things day in and day out and see how they play, how quick their ball comes,” said Raducanu.
Raducanu saw her week in Cincinnati as a “huge stride forward” because she decided to attack more without fear of bad repercussions.
“Recently I was playing hoping they would miss, and I was pushing the ball about a lot more, while this week I told myself, ‘Look, I’m just going to try, I don’t care if I make mistakes, it’s fine, but I’m going to overhit if anything,'” she added.
With her most recent loss, Raducanu is now tasked with defending her US Open championship; the tournament begins in just 10 days. It is now much less intimidating.
After a highly successful competition in which she defeated two major names before being defeated by a top player in full flow, she will arrive with a significantly more optimistic perspective. Another experience that will contribute to her development.
Meanwhile, Norrie entered his third-round match against Shelton, the NCAA champion, with all the experience. Shelton had continued his breakout summer by defeating fifth-seeded Casper Ruud in the previous round.
Norrie provided him with no genuine possibilities, neutralizing his colossal serve to the left and putting him behind the baseline.
Norrie stated, “He’s No. 1 in college, and I’ve been No. 1, so I know exactly how he feels coming into these tournaments and beating players like myself.” “I wanted to show them how difficult touring is. I wanted to make his life as difficult as possible.”
The next obstacle Norrie will face is monumental. He will compete against the third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz for a spot in the semifinals. Alcaraz has a 3-0 record against Norrie, but they played a very close three-setter during Alcaraz’s journey to the Madrid Open championship. As Norrie began to relate the difficulty he faced, he merely shrugged and said, “This kid is a beast.”
