After a grueling clash in Romania, top seed Emma Raducanu emerged victorious Oleksandra Oliynykovabooking her place in the Transylvania opened final. The victory is hers first WTA final appearance since the unforgettable US Open in 2021.
Raducanu, now 23, rose to worldwide fame as a teenager when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam. However, since that historic victory, numerous injuries and coaching changes have prevented her from maintaining consistent results, leaving her US Open trophy as her only title.
Friday’s match in Cluj-Napoca tested her resilience to the limit. Raducanu couldn’t serve out the first set on her first attempt, allowing Oliynykova to break back, but she recovered to take the next two games. Oliynykova responded in the second set, breaking Raducanu three times to force a decider. In the final set, the British star recovered from a break and, after saving several break-back opportunities, eventually sealed the victory, 7-5 3-6 6-3. The win ended a six-match losing streak in deciding sets and marked her first win in three sets since Eastbourne in June.
Raducanu has bounced back strongly in Romania, where her father was born, after a disappointing second-round loss at the Australian Open and subsequent split with coach Francisco Roig. Her determination and resilience took her all the way to the final, and she even took a moment to greet the crowd in Romanian, connecting with fans on a personal level.
The final of the WTA 250 Transylvania Open will see Raducanu take on local favorite Sorana Cirstea, offering the British star the chance to capture her first title in five years. Meanwhile, Katie Boulter also reached the final of the Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic, a rare occurrence that saw two British women compete in the WTA Tour final on the same day. (source: BBC)
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