Will Emma Raducanu win Wimbledon? We take a look at her route to a potential second Grand Slam singles title; you can watch the Hamburg, Swiss and Palermo Open, exclusively live on Sky Sports Tennis following the conclusion of Wimbledon
Sunday 7 July 2024 19:43, UK
Emma Raducanu is looking at the top of her game and the 21-year-old has realistic hopes of winning Wimbledon following the withdrawal of some big names in her half of the draw.
Raducanu powered her way into the fourth round of the women's singles on Friday with a professional 6-2 6-3 win over world No 9 Maria Sakkari.
That followed the Brit's comfortable 6-1 6-2 victory against Belgian Elise Mertens in the third round on Wednesday.
The British No 3 has struggled for fitness since her stunning US Open triumph in 2021 but looks in fine fettle having pummelled both opponents from the baseline, shouting and fist-pumping at almost every point won.
The British wild card is now through to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time since her title win at Flushing Meadows, raising tentative hopes of a first British women's singles triumph at Wimbledon since Virginia Wade in 1977.
If she can maintain the form she has shown, she could yet do some serious damage in this tournament.
She will play world No 123 Lulu Sun of New Zealand in the fourth round on Sunday, after the Kiwi beat China's Zhu Lin.
In doing so, Sun became the first female New Zealander to make it to the last 16 in singles at Wimbledon in 65 years, and the first in the Open Era.
"I wasn't expecting to be here at this stage, but I've just been playing match-by-match. Yeah, here I am!" Sun said.
After her victory over Sakkari, Raducanu was asked what was key to her form, answering: "Well I think just having your inner passion. Win or lose, every day I'm just trying to win the day.
"Different days mean different things. Getting out on the court can sometimes be winning the day.
"Sometimes you win the day and you play amazing tennis. It's give and take."
If Raducanu was to overcome Sun - and she is the odds-on favourite to - she will face either Spain's Paula Badosa (who beat 14th seed Daria Kasatkina) or Croatia's Donna Vekic (who beat Ukrainian 28th seed Dayana Yastremska) in the quarter-finals.
There are two players who stand out as clear possible semi-final opponents for Raducanu with US Open champion Coco Gauff and French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini in the kind of form to reach the last four.
It remains to be seen who Raducanu could face in the final, scheduled for 2pm on Saturday July 23, if the Briton progresses that far.
There have already been upsets in the tournament. That includes world No 1 Iga Swiatek losing to Yulia Putintseva and Ons Jabeur being eliminated by Elina Svitolina, but former champion Elena Rybakina remains in the frame.
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