Emma Raducanu’s progress in the Stuttgart Open was halted by world number one Iga Swiatek in straight sets. Swiatek, a four-time grand slam champion, won the quarter-final match 7-6 (2) 6-3, setting up a semi-final showdown with Elena Rybakina. Despite the loss, it was an encouraging performance from Raducanu, who has slipped to 303 in the world rankings after a challenging 2023. She came into the match on a high after winning four matches in a row for the first time since her US Open title in 2021.
Raducanu showed confidence in the opening exchanges, with booming returns helping her break Swiatek’s serve early on. However, Swiatek fought back and the first set turned into a marathon battle with high-quality ground strokes from both players. Raducanu held her nerve at crucial moments to force the set into a tie-break. Unfortunately, Swiatek dominated the tie-break, winning 7-2 and taking the first set.
In the second set, Raducanu fell behind 2-0 and struggled after losing her footing on the clay court. Despite fighting back and saving break points, Swiatek’s pressure eventually proved too much for Raducanu to handle. Swiatek closed out the match 6-3 in the second set, ending Raducanu’s resistance and advancing to the semi-finals.
