11:24 AM
Britain’s future star can shine again
You never have to wait long to come across British tennis’ next Big Thing. Seemingly every Wimbledon some young ‘future star’ will shine for a round or two before the anticipated titles and glory never really materialises thereafter. In Emma Raducanu the hype seems justified.
The 18-year-old wildcard is in the third round thanks to her memorable 6-2, 6-4 defeat of Marketa Vondrousova – a player 296 places above her in the world rankings. The debutant is now the lone British woman flag-bearer and as Mick Cleary wrote after that famous win: “Two months ago Raducanu was sitting her A-levels, unknown and unheralded. Those days of anonymity are gone. This was her sporting matriculation. From sixth-former to prodigy in the spotlight. The wheel is turning and Raducanu is enjoying the ride.”
What made the win over the 2019 French Open finalist even more sparkling was the fact Raducanu had not played a professional tournament since March 2020 before this week and if you didn’t know which player was which you would have reasonably assumed that it was the 18-year-old home hope that was the world No.42 and former grand slam finalist, and it was the Czech playing in her first slam.
Raducanu’s world ranking of 338 is set to fly high after this run to the third round, and her march to the third round will see her earn at least £115,000 – nearly four times her career earnings to date. She was one of six British women to be handed a wildcard, but it was Raducanu who showed the poise and lcass lacking in some of her her compatriots and this afternoon faces Sorana Cirstea.
The Romanian is 45 in the world rankings and will likely give Raducanu another test and provide a good barometer of where she is and where she can go. Cirstea has never been past the third round in SW19 so it will be unchartered waters for whoever wins today.
Stay here for what promises to be another rollercoaster ride and an early glimpse of a future British star.