Emma Raducanu next faces world No.123 qualifier Lulu Sun (Picture: Getty)
Emma Raducanu shocked Maria Sakkari at Wimbledon 2024 on Friday to reach the fourth round, equalling her best run ever at the Championships.
The British wildcard stunned Greece’s ninth-seed Sakkari 6-2 6-3 on Centre Court and the 2021 US Open champion next faces New Zealand-Swiss qualifier Lulu Sun as she looks to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final for just the second time ever.
Raducanu registered two breaks and saved five break points to take the first set 6-2 in just 45 minutes – a dominant performance in which she was making far less unforced errors and winning way more points on the second serve – with Naomi Broady insisting the Brit was operating at a much higher level than her opponent.
She turned to her box and pumped her fist after moving a set up and early-on in the second set, she fully erupted with emotion, roaring ‘Come on!’ after winning a crucial point before breaking to love to edge towards a remarkable victory.
Broady commented that Sakkari was trying to ‘stay away’ from Raducanu’s forehand as she simply couldn’t handle it, with the Briton eventually wrapping up the second set 6-3 for just her second-ever win over a player in the world top 10.
Quizzed about reaching the last 16, Raducanu said in her on-court interview: ‘I think today was really up there with the most fun I have had on a tennis court, I really enjoyed every single moment.
‘I was telling myself you don’t know how many times you are going to get the chance in your life to play in front of a full Centre Court so I’m really grateful for the support.’
Maria Sakkari was seeded ninth in the women’s singles this year (Picture: Getty)
Raducanu, who is also featuring in the mixed doubles with British legend Andy Murray, has been in fine form since the start of the grass-court season and is playing some of the best tennis of her career in what is becoming a resurgence.
The 21-year-old is currently ranked No.135 due to her long period of inactivity, playing just 10 matches in 2023 over various injury issues, which saw her undergo three seperate surgical procedures and require a lengthy recovery period.
Raducanu, who enjoyed a career-high ranking of world No.10 two years ago, returned to the WTA Tour in January – and after some mixed results – she decided to skip the French Open to focus completely on the grass swing.
That call has massively paid off with Raducanu looking rejuvenated since June, impressively reaching the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open.
Raducanu then played in Eastbourne, registering one of the biggest wins of her career over world No.5 Jessica Pegula, as she enjoyed a run to the last eight.
Despite playing down her chances at this year’s Championships, some pundits have tipped Raducanu for a deep run as she looks to clinch a second major title.
Emma Raducanu is now one match away from the quarter-finals (Picture: Getty)
She still needs to win three more matches to reach the Wimbledon final – which will be no easy feat – given the skill and ability of some of the players in the draw, but she will undoubtedly be delighted to be facing a world No.123 qualifier next.
Even if she suffers defeat in the fourth round, Raducanu has still managed to equal her best-ever run in SW19, having reached that stage on her debut in 2021.
That was when Raducanu truly burst onto the tennis scene for the first time before she went on to taste Grand Slam glory in New York later that year.
Raducanu is featuring in the women’s singles main draw at Wimbledon for only the third time, missing the 2023 tournament due to injury while she lost in the second round back in 2022.
Asked about her upcoming mixed doubles match with Murray, she added: ‘I’ll just take direction and follow his lead. I’ll have to do a crash course in doubles tonight but I’ll have fun tomorrow regardless. Of course, I will cherish the opportunity because it is just such an honour.’