Emma Raducanu is gaining momentum in Miami.
Building on her significant victory over No. 8 seed Emma Navarro, Raducanu progressed to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open on Sunday. Her match against McCartney Kessler concluded with a score of 6-1, 3-0, due to Kessler`s retirement caused by a lower back injury. The match lasted for 43 minutes.
It marks the first instance since Wimbledon last summer that the British player has secured three consecutive wins at a Hologic WTA Tour event or Grand Slam.
`I am very pleased to reach this stage,` Raducanu stated after her recent win. `Winning in this manner is not ideal, but I believe I maintained good focus throughout the match.`
Raducanu mentioned that her thrilling three-set victory over Navarro on Friday felt more emotionally significant than her 2021 US Open win.
This is because a series of injuries over the past three and a half years have prevented her from consistently reaching the level she displayed during her ten consecutive wins in straight sets in New York.
`The past few years have been incredibly challenging for me,` Raducanu admitted. `I don`t believe I am completely out of the woods yet, and I am still in the process of figuring things out.`
`I am happy with my performance this week, managing to put aside off-court issues, maintain a clear mindset on the court, and compete for every point.`
This energy fueled a decisive victory against Kessler, an emerging American player who won a title in Hobart this year. Raducanu broke Kessler`s serve in all four attempts in the first set and won 29 out of 43 points in the first set, totaling 41 out of 58 points for the entire match.
`It is always difficult when you play against someone and suspect they might have an issue,` Raducanu commented. `You must try to remain focused and not relax, as it`s challenging to manage your game in such situations. I think I managed that aspect effectively.`
`I had a very productive practice session earlier today, and I am pleased it translated into my match.`
Raducanu`s next opponent will be the winner of the match between No. 11 seed Mirra Andreeva and No. 17 Amanda Anisimova in the Round of 16 on Monday. A victory for Raducanu would be her best result in a WTA 1000 tournament, having reached this stage for the fourth time.
`They are both top-tier players and have both won WTA 1000 titles this season,` Raducanu acknowledged. `They are both in excellent form. It will be an extremely tough match for me.`
