Emma Raducanu vs Suzan Lamens LIVE: Raducanu wins in straight sets at the Madrid Open
Raducanu earned her first win of the clay-court season by beating Lamens 7-6 6-2 in the opening round
Emma Raducanu banished her Madrid Open demons of last year as she overcame Suzan Lamens in straight sets to kick off her clay campaign.
Raducanu had to recover from a break down in both sets to claim a 7-6 6-4 victory at the Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, showing grit 12 months on from first-round heartache in the same competition, where she suffered arguably her worst loss of 2024 to Maria Carle.
With “informal” coach Mark Petchey at courtside, the Brit survived three break points in the ninth game of the first set to force a tiebreak, which she won 7-4 to draw first blood in the Spanish capital.
With the pressure on Lamens, the Dutchwoman became increasingly frustrated as her service game deteriorated, something which was punished by Raducanu as she took the second set 6-4, booking her place in the second round and setting up a clash with Ukraine’s Mata Kostyuk, the 22nd seed.
Follow live updates from Raducanu’s clash with Lamens below:
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Emma Raducanu on next
Belinda Bencic has dispatched Zeynep Sonmez 6-0 6-2 so Emma Raducanu will be next up. In fact, the players have just walked out onto court in the Madrid sunshine.
*Emma Raducanu 0-0 Suzan Lamens
Lamens wins the toss and elects to receive. We are underway in Madrid!
*denotes next server
*Emma Raducanu 1-0 Suzan Lamens
Raducanu fires a fantastic shot across court to give herself a quick 30-0 lead, but a double fault eats into that early advantage.
Lamens works her hard and forces deuce, but Raducanu is eventually able to hold the opening game.
Emma Raducanu 1-1 Suzan Lamens*
Raducanu threatens to break early on as she works her backhand nicely, drawing a couple of errors from Lamens and taking a 0-30 lead.
Just like in the opening game, Lamens is able to draw the contest back to 30-30 - and while Raducanu fires to earn a break point, Lamens produces a deft drop shot to draw deuce.
Another extended rally sees Lamens come out on top as Raducanu hits her forehands into the net.
Two close games to start things off.
*Emma Raducanu 2-1 Suzan Lamens
Raducanu starts well to force an error off her second serve but fires into the net to halve her advantage to 30-15.
Lamens continues to put the pressure on, showing off the dangers her forehand poses.
But with Raducanu leading 40-30, the Brit produces a delightfully angled forehand of her own to edge ahead.
Emma Raducanu 2-2 Suzan Lamens*
Lamens forces Raducanu to defend on the bassline off the bat and finishes the first point with an emphatic smash.
Three strong serves follow and Lamens is able to seal a swift game to little response from Raducanu.
BREAK! *Emma Raducanu 2-3 Suzan Lamens
Raducanu and Lamens trade backhands as the Brit forces the Dutchwoman into a corner and eventually an error.
She goes 30-0 up but fluffs her advantage, with Lamens doing brilliantly on her return of service to leave Raducanu a break point down.
Another fantastic return down the line just stays in and Lamens draws first blood.
That’s the third time in three games Raducanu has gone 30-0 up before forfeiting that lead.
BREAK! Emma Raducanu 3-3 Suzan Lamens*
Off the back of a break, Lamens doesn’t start in the best stead as she concedes a double fault. She then immediately makes up for her error with an ace.
Raducanu responds by firing a short second serve past before forcing Lamens forward and placing it through the gap to give her two shots at a break of her own.
And it’s another double fault from Lamens! Raducanu hits back.
*Emma Raducanu 4-3 Suzan Lamens
Wayward backhand goes flying wide from Lamens to get Raducanu on the board, with the Dutchwoman looking a little flustered after that poor service game.
Raducanu follows up with a wonderful ace before another terrific first serve forces a short reply - a simple backhand near the net and the Brit leads 40-0.
Lamens snatched a point back but is forced into another weak return, which is punished by Raducanu who retakes the lead.
Emma Raducanu 4-4 Suzan Lamens*
Better from Lamens to start off her service as she forces Raducanu into a high shot, which is expertly dispatched by the Dutchwoman. Looking up into the sun, that was harder than it may have appeared.
Much improved serving follows and she holds the game.
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