Emma Raducanu has won her first match of the clay court season after beating Suzan Lamens at the Madrid Open.
Raducanu lost her only match at the Madrid Open last year, before bringing an end to her 2024 clay court season to focus on grass instead.
The Brit’s victory over Lamens was also her first on outdoor clay since 2022, having mostly played on indoor clay courts over the past couple of years.
With Raducanu continuing her work with Mark Petchey, former top 10 player CoCo Vandeweghe has voiced her opinion on the 22-year-old’s clay court preparation.
Coco Vandeweghe admits being ‘surprised’ by what Emma Raducanu did recently
Raducanu’s last tournament was the Miami Open, where she impressed by reaching the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time.
The world number 49 was scheduled to begin her clay court season earlier, but Raducanu withdrew from the BJK Cup and a WTA 250 tournament in Rouen, instead heading to Los Angeles for a training block.
Raducanu’s decision has split opinion, and while Vandeweghe has admitted she was surprised, she suggested that the 2021 US Open champion has potential to be dangerous on clay after watching her match against Lamens.
“I was a bit surprised that they came to LA for this training block. She likes LA life!” Vandewegehe said on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast.
“She was using her fortitude to perfection out here. Getting the extra ball. She, I think, is very dangerous on a clay court. She picks up the pace using that high heavy forehand to drive up to the next ball.
“It is all about body control when you are moving around on the clay and for Emma that is just going to be time. We always forget how young she is and how green she is out on tour, but able to get through a very tough first round.”
Emma Raducanu’s impressive tie-break record
Raducanu adapting to the high altitude clay courts in Madrid is not the only thing that has been noticeably impressive.
Despite being a break down in both sets, Raducanu beat Lamens, 7-6(4) 6-4, to better her already eye-catching recent tie-break record.
Raducanu has now won 12 out of her last 13 tie-breaks, showcasing her strength in the most important moments of matches.
This is highlighted by the straight sets victory over Lamens, where Raducanu only won four more points than her opponent.
The only tie-break that Raducanu has lost in recent memory was against Karolina Muchova, in the match where she was left visibly distressed due to a man that ‘exhibited fixated behavior’.
Raducanu will look to show some of her mental strength in her second round match against 24th seed Marta Kostyuk.
The last time that Raducanu played Kostyuk was at the Madrid Open in 2023, where she won to the loss of only three games.
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