Emma Raducanu advanced to the third round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells when Dayana Yastremska was unable to continue due to a stomach issue. Raducanu was winning 4-0, 15-0 in their second-round match, which lasted for 23 minutes before Yastremska’s retirement.
Raducanu has made it to the third round, marking her progress through two back-to-back rounds for the first time in her comeback to professional tennis this year. She underwent surgery on both hands and an ankle in 2023. The 21-year-old will still remain in the top 300 players in the world, as the outcome of her recent match moves her up to No. 287 in the WTA rankings.
Possibly the ultimate challenge in women’s tennis during this time may be upcoming, as she is predicted to go up against Aryna Sabalenka, the current Australian Open winner and second seeded player. Sabalenka is scheduled to compete against hometown favorite Peyton Stearns on Saturday.
After comfortably beating Rebeka Masarova, a qualifier, in the first round on Thursday, Raducanu faced a chance to challenge herself against tougher opponents in the tournament.
Yastremska, a once highly-touted young player, has made a comeback to the top 30 ranking this year after facing challenges in the past few seasons. She achieved this by reaching the semi-finals of the Australian Open. When she is performing at her best, the Ukrainian can be a dominant force on the court with her powerful shots. Her strategy is to fight on her own terms, paying little attention to her opponents’ tactics. While this has its advantages, it also means she has been prone to inconsistency throughout her career, even during her strongest years. Despite her impressive run to the semi-finals at the Australian Open, where she won eight matches and came close to Raducanu’s historic feat of reaching the finals from qualifying, Yastremska’s recent record stands at 2-3 and she is still in search of a breakthrough to maintain her early season momentum.
Raducanu had the task of controlling Yastremska’s powerful shots, limiting her own mistakes, and retaliating whenever possible. She executed her role flawlessly, starting strong with successful returns and strong first serves in the first intense service game, and maintained her steady play.
After Yastremska made a mistake on a routine volley, she seemed to lose her form completely. She continued to make unforced errors in the first few games, causing her to quickly trail behind 4-0.
Trailing 0-15 in the fifth set, Yastremska moved to the end of the court and hunched over while holding her stomach. The umpire, Kader Nouni, helped her to her chair where she retired, leading to a hug between her and her opponent.
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Rewording: Raducanu may not have much to gain from a short 23-minute match against an ill opponent, but she can find comfort in her stable and confident performance and the rare occurrence of not experiencing physical issues. She will face another tough challenge on Monday.
Cameron Norrie cruised through the men’s bracket by defeating Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 6-4 in the second round. The top-ranked British player will now take on either Hubert Hurkacz or Gäel Monfils, both playing later in the evening.
