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Emma Raducanu opened her Madrid Open campaign with a gritty victory against a quality, in-form opponent, holding off Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands 7-6 (4), 6-4 to reach the second round.
Over the past three and a half years, as Raducanu has tried to navigate the pressure, stress and discomfort that accompanied her spectacular arrival, there have been times where it seemed like she might find her way. Those hopeful moments were usually fleeting, with a series of tough losses, injuries or a self-sabotaging decision always around the corner.
Here she is again, after reaching the quarter-finals in Miami, her most impressive performance since her US Open triumph, trying to maintain her good form and properly establish herself at the highest levels of the sport.
Although the 22-year-old struggled to find her best level for any sustained period against a quality opponent, this performance was a reflection of her resilience and adaptability as she found a way through her first clay-court match of the season. An even greater test awaits in round two against Marta Kostyuk, the 24th seed.
“It’s for sure different stepping into the competition, especially on clay. I haven’t played many matches on this surface, so it does feel a little foreign to me,” said Raducanu. “I’m happy with how I kind of worked my way into the match. I played an opponent in great form who has won a lot of matches on clay so I knew I had to play really well to win. I don’t think I played my best level but I think I competed really well.”
Most players are already knee-deep in their clay-court season, but Raducanu opted for a different path. Following a hectic start that culminated in her run to the last eight of the Miami Open, the former British No 1 decided to take a brief pause. Instead of competing in the Billie Jean King Cup or in Rouen, she embarked on a 10-day training block in Los Angeles.
She was joined in California by Mark Petchey, her locum coach in Miami, who again took his seat in her player box on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in the Caja Mágica and shouted encouragement at his charge throughout.
Raducanu entered the court as the higher-ranked player – No 49 v No 73 – but Lamens is a good clay-court player who has steadily risen up the rankings over the past year after winning her first title. She followed up her dismantling of Katie Boulter in the BJK Cup by reaching the semi-finals in Rouen last week.
A quick, durable athlete armed with a potent topspin forehand she uses to move opponents around, Lamens’ excellent rally tolerance makes her particularly dangerous on clay. She was flawless early on, her forehand particularly on fire as she lasered winners from all parts of the court.
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Under pressure and not always able to find her best rhythm in rapid conditions due to Madrid’s high altitude, Raducanu was forced to react and find a way through and she did so by drawing on her full arsenal of shots. At times, the Briton was able to counter Lamens’ offence with her own; she faced three break points on her serve at 4-4, to which she responded with a series of searing forehands.
Other times, however, she simply relied on her durability. Towards the end of the set, however, as Lamens continued to pulverise her forehand, Raducanu opted to loop balls high and outlast her opponent. Alongside her composure and resolve, the 2021 US Open champion found Lamens’ backhand more often in the tie-break, which deteriorated under pressure.
Rather than the tight first set liberating Raducanu, she immediately found herself down a break in set two. Nothing came easily. Although she was able to better find her range, she closed out the match through her mental toughness, standing firm in the final games for a quality win.
