Emma Raducanu produced arguably her best ever performance at a Grand Slam to beat Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets at Wimbledon.
Raducanu was never threatened by the former winner of the tournament and now sets up a mouthwatering affair with Aryna Sabalenka.
The 2021 US Open champion looks to be hitting some good form once again this year and appears to be in good health, too.
Raducanu has had a number of surgeries on her wrists and ankles since winning her only Grand Slam title, and at 21-years-old, she still has lots of time on her side.
Sabalenka is desperate to get a Grand Slam to her name this year, having lost in two finals so far, but Raducanu will also fancy progressing when she faces the world number one.
Emma Raducanu told how she can beat Aryna Sabalenka by two pundits
It won’t be easy for Raducanu to overcome the world’s best player, but then it wouldn’t be the first time she has defied the odds.
Raducanu will have to play her best and hope to catch Sabalenka off her stride a little bit, but it’s a game she should be confident going into.
Jim Courier and Lindsay Davenport are on the same wavelength when it comes to how Raducanu can beat the world number one, but believe it is plausible.
Courier told the TC Live podcast: “Let’s be honest, Emma Raducanu is a wonderful tennis player, but she is a light hitter compared to a lot of the people she faces, and certainly against Sabalenka, she is going to need the speed of the court to help her.
“I am not sure where she goes in her game as far as changing equipment to get more power, if she wants to get up and compete against the real heavyweights of the sport.
“I think she needs more changes to come, but I like the gradual progression she is on now, and I like the fact that she tends to embrace this Wimbledon ambience. Not every home player does.”
Davenport won Wimbledon during her career, and she agrees with her fellow pundit.
She said: “It’s so important for Raducanu to be able to consistently play this year. She has not had so many injuries, has really kept to her schedule, but she is going to have to do something a bit outside of the box against Sabalenka.
“Let’s see what Petch comes up with, but she is going to have to hit a high percentage of first serves in, because her second serve, Sabalenka, is going to be all over.
“You have to be able to handle the power of Sabalenka. Can Raducanu handle that on grass? That is going to be the big question.”
Emma Raducanu vs Aryna Sabalenka head-to-head
This will be an eagerly anticipated match when tomorrow’s schedule comes out and it will almost certainly be on a main court.
Incidentally, the two players might know very little about each other, with their paths only crossing on one occasion previously.
The other meeting came at Indian Wells in 2024, with Sabalenka running out a 6-3, 7-5 winner on a hard court.
On grass, this match-up could be more of a leveller and it will be fascinating to see whether Raducanu can cause a shock and progress to round four.
