Emma Raducanu has ‘come a long way’ after reaching Miami Open quarter-finals

Emma Raducanu said she has “come a long way” in the last week after reaching the Miami Open quarter-finals and winning four matches in a row at the same tournament for the first time since her US Open win in 2021.

Raducanu sealed her first last-eight appearance at a WTA 1000 event with a dominant straight-sets win over 17th seed Amanda Anisimova, requiring a little more than an hour to win 6-1 6-3.

The 22-year-old is set to enter the top 50 of the world rankings and her best run since being crowned US Open champion has come after she was knocked out of Indian Wells in the first round earlier this month.

Raducanu ended her coaching trial with Vladimir Platenik on the eve of the Miami tournament and has been working with former mentors Mark Petchey and Jane O’Donoghue during the fortnight.

And Raducanu said the change of approach and working with people who she “trusts” has helped her “have fun” off the court and contributed to her performances in matches.

“I’ve come a long way in the last week, I think, since Indian Wells, Raducanu told Sky Sports. “I wasn’t necessarily feeling great about my tennis, about everything.

“But this week I have, yeah, some really good people around me who I trust and who I have fun with off the court as well, and that is extremely important.

“When I play my best I am definitely authentic, true to myself and creative. I feel when I am boxed into a regimented way then I am not able to express myself in the same way. So I’m happy with how I realised that this week.”

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Anisimova, who had defeated Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva in the previous round, required treatment on her right wrist and cut a frustrated figure as Raducanu closed out the first set after just 24 minutes with a third break of serve.

Raducanu’s dominance continued when she broke serve for a 3-1 advantage, and the next two games also went against serve as she closed in on victory that was achieved after 68 minutes.

“I am really proud of how I came through that,” Raducanu added. “Playing Amanda, it is never easy. She has had some amazing wins, top 20, won a Masters this year.

“I just knew I had to dig every ball that I could and make it as physical as possible, because I backed myself in that regard.

“I was happy with how I moved, how I extended the rallies from the first game, the first points and kind of just got in my opponent’s head.”

Raducanu will play American world number four Pegula in the quarter-finals after she beat Marta Kostyuk in straight sets.

Also in the bottom half of the draw, Iga Swiatek takes on Alexandra Eala, who stunned Madison Keys in the last-16, for a place in the semi-finals.

In the top half, World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka faces Qinwen Zheng, with the winner facing either Jasmine Paolini or Magda Linette.