Emma Raducanu vs Daria Snigur LIVE: Result and reaction as Briton reaches Nottingham Open quarter-finals
Raducanu’s preparation for Wimbledon continues as she looks to progress to the third round of the Rothesay Open
Emma Raducanu progressed through to the quarter-finals of the Rothesay Open in Nottingham with a straight-sets victory over Ukraine’s Daria Snigur.
In a match where she produced 10 aces and won six games in a row in the first set, it was a good performance from Raducanu, who won 6-2 6-2 over Snigur, who is an experienced grass court player.
Raducanu is fully underway with her grass court preparations as she hopes to peak in time for Wimbledon this July and is growing in both confidence and fitness following a six-week absence. She skipped the French Open after a first-round defeat at the Madrid Open choosing instead to focus on the grass court season and ‘keep fit for the rest of the year’.
Her first round match in Nottingham saw her easily sweep past Japanese opponent Ena Shibahara, winning 6-1 6-4 in straight sets though she was displeased at some “insane” line calls.
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Emma Raducanu reaches Nottingham Open quarter-finals
Emma Raducanu defeated Ukraine’s Daria Snigur to reach her first WTA Tour quarter-final on grass at the Rothesay Open in Nottingham.
The former US Open champion produced a solid display in cool, windy conditions to triumph 6-2 6-2, with 11 aces proving very useful.
Raducanu had complained strongly about the line calling in her first-round win over Ena Shibahara, and there were a few more disputes here, with several overrules and both players voicing their unhappiness.
She struggled to find her range and timing in the first couple of games against 22-year-old Snigur, who is ranked 127th and proficient on grass having won the junior title at Wimbledon five years ago.
Raducanu, who could next meet good friend Francesca Jones, found herself 2-0 down but recovered the break immediately and a tough hold in the next game proved an important moment.
She reeled off six games in a row to clinch the first set and then broke again on a Snigur double fault in the third game of the second.
She had to save two break points at 3-2, with her serve again coming to the rescue, but broke again in the next game before wrapping up victory in an hour and 19 minutes.
“It was an extremely tricky match,” said Raducanu. “I knew from before I came on I needed to be on it today because Daria is a really good player and grass-court player especially.
“I’m very, very happy with how I managed it, especially in the beginning, and came through.”
Via PA
Emma Raducanu is into the quarter-finals after beating Daria Snigur in straight sets
Raducanu on the home crowd: “It was incredible, today I could really hear the support and I could really feel it.
“It was nice to - it’s our turf, the Brits - it’s not just me, but all the Brits are doing pretty well in this tournament, so we’re trying to take the title home again, one of us.”
Emma Raducanu is into the quarter-finals after beating Daria Snigur in straight sets
Raducanu on the run of six games: “It’s very important, because tennis I feel is a game of momentum and you really have to capitalise when you’re feeling the run, whether that’s games in a row, matches in a row, or tournaments in a row, because wins and games are really hard to come by.
“So when you’re up, you have to stay on it and then you almost have this feeling like ‘something is going to go wrong’ but it’s about trying to shut that one out and do whatever you can with the tactics, to pull ahead.”
Emma Raducanu is into the quarter-finals after beating Daria Snigur in straight sets
Emma Raducanu: “It was an extremely tricky match. I knew from before I came on that I needed to be on it today because Daria is a really good grass court player especially, she won junior Wimbledon, and I played with her in the juniors growing up.
“I know how tricky she can be to play and how unorthodox she is playing, so it’s really difficult, but I’m really happy with the way I managed it and came through.”
Emma Raducanu is into the quarter-finals after beating Daria Snigur in straight sets
Emma Raducanu showcased some of her best tennis, and definitely her best serves, producing at least 10 aces during the two-set contest.
Daria Snigur played well, and is used to playing on grass, but after losing the first two games of the match, Raducanu fought back to win six on a row and take the first set.
In the second, she started in the same manner she finished the first, and consistently looked to attack the Snigur serve, and was rewarded with a key victory for what has already been an injury-hit couple of years.
Emma Raducanu 6-2 6-2 Daria Snigur - GAME, SET, MATCH
Raducanu produces another serve to take the game to deuce, then sets up match point, but she misses an attempted cross-court backhand winner, and the game goes back to deuce.
Snigur has another break opportunity to save the match, and again it’s saved by Raducanu.
The Briton has a second match point, and again Snigur saves it, by coming to the net with a volleyed winner.
Raducanu carves out a third match point, and this time she does take it! Raducanu whips a wide forehand and Snigur cannot get the ball back.
The British player is into the quarter-finals of the Nottingham Open.
Emma Raducanu 6-2 5-2 Daria Snigur - DEUCE
Raducanu is serving for the match, and takes the first point, but Snigur produces a backhand down the line to level the game at 15-15.
Snigur goes ahead at 15-30, and she’s not out of this yet, but again another big ace from Raducanu, straight down the line and the game is level.
Raducanu puts too much into a backhand and it leaves her a bit flat-footed to reach another backhand winner from Snigur, to set up a break point.
Emma Raducanu 6-2 5-2 Daria Snigur
Raducanu has a chance to kill the match off now, she’s 0-30 up on Snigur’s serve, and a sliced serve is returned deep which the Ukrainian cannot return in.
Raducanu has three break points, Snigur saves the first, but she can’t do anything about the second, and the Briton is in pole position.
Emma Raducanu 6-2 4-2 Daria Snigur
Snigur takes the first point on Raducanu’s serve, and the clapping from the fans is a bit more muted, but the Brit is level after a relatively lengthy baseline rally exchange.
Raducanu produces a stunning backhand to carve out a winning point down the line, and that does deserve a fist pump!
Snigur has a break point at 30-40, after one just slid away from Raducanu, but the Brit produces a big serve to take the game to deuce.
But Snigur plays the ball down the line after Raducanu was caught between the lines having come in for a drop shot, and will have a second break point.
Again, it’s saved by a big serve from Raducanu, and a backhand slice to follow up, gives her the game point, and she takes the game with another wide serve, her 10th ace.
Emma Raducanu 6-2 3-2 Daria Snigur
Snigur takes the first point, but after a discussion with the umpire when her serve was called out,m she has to set herself.
A wild forehand when the net pushed the ball back into the court sees the server move 30-0 ahead, and then to three game points.
Raducanu just gets a racket to that one and Snigur holds to love!
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