Iga Świątek was clinical in her dismantling of Emma Raducanu on Friday, but it was the latter who came out stealing headlines.
After all, few had predicted she would put up such a staunch fight, less than a week after stunning against France in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers.
But perform she did, brushing aside Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova before being felled by the world number one.
And although Swiatek would be swiftly then knocked out by Elena Rybakina in the next round, her kind words still ring true.
Iga Swiatek predicts big things for Emma Raducanu
Speaking after her win over Raducanu, the 22-year-old was full of praise for her opponent, who is just one year her junior.
And, in waxing lyrical about the Great British tennis player, she also made a bold prediction for the future.
Swiatek noted: ‘It was a pretty intense match. I was happy that I was able to keep the intensity even though we played some tough games for like two hours.
‘It wasn’t easy. I had a lot of break points which I didn’t convert so still I’m happy that I could finish it with a better score in the second set than in the first.
‘There are a lot of factors coming in if you want to stay consistently at the top but I hope [Raducanu] will be able to do it. For sure she has the game but it’s not easy.’
Emma Raducanu has enjoyed an impressive clay court season
This season was never one of huge expectation for Raducanu, but has impressed nevertheless.
And despite having not really come close to winning any of the six tournaments she has participated in, just her maintaining fitness is enough to warrant 2024 being a success thus far.
Last year saw her suffer throughout, with surgery on her ankle and both wrists rendering her unable to compete.
Following her ground-breaking 2021 US Open triumph, in which she won the entire competition, expectations have naturally been sky-high ever since.
But she was not ready, and this explosion into superstardom has arguably inflated what the masses felt she was capable of.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a back-to-front career, and only now are we witnessing the steady progress of a young starlet who shot to fame against all the odds.
The fact that she was able to compete with Swaitek so fiercely is a testament to quality and progression, and hopefully, by the end of the season, she might have bridged the gap between her and the world number one.
Regardless, she should remain proud of her fine clay-court season thus far, having shone in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, and now impressed in Stuttgart too.
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