Emma Raducanu has reached her first WTA semifinal in over a year.
The 22-year-old last advanced to the last four of a tournament at the Nottingham Open in June 2024.
Now she finds herself one match away from her first final since the 2021 US Open after overcoming Maria Sakkari at the Citi Open.
Raducanu overcame the Greek player in straight sets to keep her chances of a second career title alive, but it was not entirely straightforward.
Emma Raducanu comments on feeling unwell during her Washington Open quarterfinal
Emma Raducanu maintained her unbeaten record against Sakkari, but both players struggled with the sweltering conditions in Washington D.C.
It was a challenge for both players to hold serve, especially in the opening set, but the crucial blow came at 4-4, when Raducanu broke before successfully serving for the set.
Sakkari took control of the second set and raced into a 5-2 lead, but Raducanu showed her resolve and stormed back to win five successive games to win the match 6-4, 7-5.
Though pleased with her victory, Raducanu expressed the challenges she had with the conditions on court, which took its toll on the world number 46.
“I’m not feeling the best right now, so I just need to go and speak to the doctors. I think I would like to say I’m pretty good in the heat, for the most part, but I was really struggling today,” Raducanu told reporters.
“I think also the fact that Maria, she was so fresh, she was out of the chair before the time was out, is just a testament to how fit she is, which was pretty incredible.
“Yeah, it was one of the toughest matches conditions-wise I have ever played in. I don’t know. Those points in the second set, I was getting a bit wobbly (smiling). Yeah, I’m just happy I could close it out and it was two sets.”
Emma Raducanu retires from doubles competition after feeling unwell
Raducanu has not only enjoyed success in singles in America’s capital city, but she was having success alongside Elena Rybakina in doubles.
The pair reached the semi-finals and were competing against Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai for a spot in the final.
But while trialing 1-4, Raducanu began feeling unwell and decided she could no longer continue and the match came to an end.
Both Raducanu and Rybakina still have chances of success in singles, with Raducanu due to face Anna Kalinskaya in the semi-finals.
Rybakina will take on Leylah Fernandez, who defeated top seed Jessica Pegula and Townsend to reach this stage of the tournament.
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