Emma Raducanu Advances in Italian Open Amid Rain-Delayed Matches

Rome, Italy — Emma Raducanu overcame a challenging match on a rain-delayed day to secure her spot in the second round of the Italian Open, defeating teenager Maya Joint on Wednesday.

Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, won the match with a final score of 7-5, 6-7 (1), 6-3 after nearly two hours and 44 minutes of play. Serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, Raducanu faltered, allowing Joint to break and take the set into a tiebreak, which she lost decisively.

In the third set, Raducanu regained control, racing to a 5-0 lead. Joint, 19, mounted a late comeback by winning three games in a row but could not close the gap as Raducanu ultimately served out the match.

After the match, Raducanu expressed her admiration for Joint’s competitive spirit, saying, “Maya played so aggressively, and any time I dropped the ball a tiny bit short, she was all over it.” She also noted the supportive crowd, remarking on the late hour of the match.

Raducanu’s victory marks her first success at the Italian Open after a previous early exit in 2022. She is scheduled to face No. 21 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the next round, having won one match and lost another against her earlier this year.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Alexandra Eala of the Philippines faced a swift defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who secured a 6-0, 6-2 win in just 62 minutes. Kostyuk has performed well in recent WTA 1000 clay events and will play No. 14 seed Daria Kasatkina next.

In a closely contested match, Italian 17-year-old Tyra Caterina Grant nearly achieved her maiden WTA victory but lost to Croatian qualifier Tena Ruzic, who rallied from being down 5-4 in the final set. Ruzic will face Canadian Leylah Fernandez, the No. 24 seed, in the second round.