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Maya Joint Shocks Emma Raducanu in Quarterfinals at Eastbourne Open

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Maya Joint Emma Raducanu Eastbourne Open

Eastbourne, England — Maya Joint, a 19-year-old Australian tennis player, triumphed over British favorite Emma Raducanu in a thrilling quarterfinal match at the Lexus Eastbourne Open on Wednesday. Joint won 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), marking her second career victory on grass at the Hologic WTA Tour level.

Joint had earlier stunned two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur in the first round, making her a formidable opponent. In Thursday’s semifinal, she will face Anna Blinkova, who defeated Lulu Sun 6-3, 6-3.

In her latest match, Joint faced Raducanu’s strong grass-court game. The first set saw multiple breaks of serve, culminating in Raducanu winning the set after a tight battle. However, Joint’s resilience shone through in the second and third sets as she battled back.

After losing the first set, Joint broke Raducanu’s serve to take a 1-0 lead in the deciding set. Despite a few tense moments, including saving three break points to maintain her lead, Joint eventually fought off a late surge from Raducanu, who managed to tie the set at 5-all before heading into a match tiebreak.

“I definitely try to hit the lines — doesn’t always work,” Joint said following her win. “I’m glad it worked today. Grass is interesting; if you hit one good shot, the rally can turn.”

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala of the Philippines also advanced after No. 3 seed Jelena Ostapenko retired with a foot injury while trailing 0-6, 6-2, 3-2. Eala will meet the winner of the match between Dayana Yastremska and Francesca Jones.

Joint has rapidly ascended the WTA rankings, from No. 119 at the end of 2024 to her current position at No. 51. “It’s really exciting. I’ve gotten a lot of questions about rankings, but I usually don’t look at it,” Joint noted.