Emma Raducanu’s four-match winning streak was ended by Iga Swiatek at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as she fell to a valiant defeat to the defending champion in the quarter-finals.
Raducanu had earned straight-sets wins over Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova across the first two rounds, following two victories last week in Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup clash with France.
The 21-year-old impressed against world No 1 Swiatek during a 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 loss, breaking in the first game of the match having been 40-0 down, and it was only in the first-set tie-break when she was outmuscled.
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Raducanu surprised Swiatek with this backhand in the opening game
The Pole then broke Raducanu in the first game of the second set and engineered further break points in the Briton’s next two service games that she was unable to convert as her opponent dug deep.
However, Swiatek went on to clinch victory with a second break in the ninth game to set up a Saturday semi-final with fourth seed Elena Rybakina as she chases a third consecutive title in Stuttgart after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the previous two finals.
Raducanu’s two wins in Stuttgart have propelled her to just outside the world’s top 200 as she continues her comeback from ankle and wrist surgery last year, operations that led to the 2021 US Open champion spending eight months on the sidelines.
The way she matched Swiatek at times, and how she dispatched former world No 1 Kerber and this year’s Australian Open quarter-finalist Noskova earlier in the tournament, bodes well.
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Raducanu took a tumble on the court in the second set
Swiatek: Raducanu has game to get back to the top
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Iga Swiatek was full of praise for Raducanu in Stuttgart, saying hopes she can go on to win tournaments in the future
Swiatek, who took her head-to-head record against Raducanu to 3-0, said afterwards: “It was a pretty intense match.
“I was happy that I was able to keep the intensity even though we played some tough games for like two hours.
“It wasn’t easy. I had a lot of break points which I didn’t convert so still I’m happy that I could finish it with a better score in the second set than in the first.
“There are a lot of factors coming in if you want to stay consistently at the top but I hope [Raducanu] will be able to do it. For sure she has the game but it’s not easy.”
Swiatek also beat Raducanu in the quarter-finals in Stuttgart in 2022 and in the last 16 at Indian Wells last year.
Tale of the Tape
Raducanu can mix it with the very best
Sky Sports’ Raz Mirza:
“What an incredible couple of weeks for Raducanu on the red dirt. After her heroics against France in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, she came to Stuttgart feeling like a Grand Slam champion again.
“Her coach Nick Cavaday has helped instil an enormous amount of belief in her game. Her confidence is sky-high and who knew she could play this well on clay, especially against world No 1 Swiatek where she made her work her socks off for a touch over two hours. Not many players can claim to have done that over the past few years.
“Is Raducanu a French Open contender?
“The slower pace and bounce of the courts have favoured her, but the real test will come outdoors as they head to Madrid, Rome and then Roland Garros. An interesting four weeks lie ahead for the 21-year-old.”
Who else is through?
Elsewhere, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova came from a set down to beat Sabalenka 3-6 6-3 7-5 and will now face Coco Gauff or Marta Kostyuk in the semi-finals, while Rybakina overcame Jasmine Paolini 6-3 5-7 6-3 to advance.
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