Raducanu hits new heights with stunning win
Emma Raducanu took her blazing summer to new heights with a crushing victory over Sara Sorribes Tormo to reach the fourth round of the US Open.
The 18-year-old has now matched her breakthrough run at Wimbledon but the strides she has made in just the last two months were evident as Raducanu raced to a sensational 6-0 6-1 win over the world No. 41.
Spaniard Sorribes Tormo is having the season of her life, halving her ranking and beating Ashleigh Barty at the Olympics, but she was left helpless by the brilliance of Raducanu.
The Kent teenager has not dropped a set across six matches in qualifying and the main draw and was superior in every area, out-hitting and out-thinking one of the most durable players on tour.
Ranked outside the top 350 in June and having never faced a top-100 player, Raducanu is now set to break that milestone herself.
This was her seventh win from nine matches against players inside three figures, and she is likely to earn a crack at the very best in world No. 1 Barty next.
That will, of course, be a formidable challenge but there is no doubt all of the women’s tour will be wary of the British phenomenon.
Raducanu said: “I was playing very well and I know Sara’s an extremely tough opponent. She doesn’t make a mistake so you have to be on your game every single point.
“It’s been two weeks in New York now and into the third week. I never thought I’d be here but I’m just so, so excited.”
Meanwhile, a tearful Naomi Osaka plans to take another break from tennis after her shock US Open exit.
The defending champion lost 5-7 7-6 (2) 6-4 to 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez at Arthur Ashe Stadium, having served for the match in the second set.
Holding back tears, she said: “This is very hard to articulate. Basically, I feel like I’m kind of at this point where I’m trying to figure out what I want to do.
“I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next match.”