Raducanu rolls past Bogdan to reach Transylvania quarter-finals

The US Open champion had a straight-sets win in Transylvania – but it wasn’t a comfortable one

Emma Raducanu celebrates after winning her round of 32 match against Slovenia’s Polona Hercog (Panoramic)

October 28, 2021

US Open champion Emma Raducanu reached the quarter-finals of the Transylvania Open with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 win over Romania’s Ana Bogdan.

“It was so good to play a Romanian!” Raducanu said afterwards, thanking the tournament volunteers who had come to watch the match and support both the players.

“It is definitely taking me some time to find my feet still. I’m taking some learnings from every match I play, I don’t think I’m the finished product yet.”

There's that match-point serve again 👀

🇬🇧 @EmmaRaducanu beats Bogdan in Cluj to set up a quarterfinal against Kostyuk!#TransylvaniaOpen pic.twitter.com/Vsp9lRAd01
— wta (@WTA) October 28, 2021

Tennis Majors

The second set was more of a battle than the scoreline might suggest. Bogdan had won three games in a row and was then infuriated by a close line-call in Raducanu’s favour as the Brit broke her serve to move to a 4-3 lead.

The 18-year-old will next play Marta Kostyuk, who beat Mona Barthel 6-4, 6-4 in their round of 16 match.

Halep and Kontaveit also reach quarter-finals

Top seed and local favourite Simona Halep and second seed Anett Kontaveit also moved into the last eight with straight set wins. Halep overcame a stiff back and needed one hour and 14 minutes to beat Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-2 while Kontaveit needed four minutes less to beat Alison van Uytvanck 6-3, 6-4.

"If the pain had been more serious, I would have stopped. I had these pains before. It’s a low back pain that hurts in a way that you cannot breath and you can’t actually move as you want to move. I did my best, as the pain allowed me to, and I managed to get a win." (2)
— Transylvania Open (@TransylvaniaOpn) October 28, 2021

"I promised myself that I will not quit, and this is what I try to do everytime I go on court. Like I said, I am not interested in a certain result, I just want to have a few matches. And today I fought because I am home and I like to play here." (4/4)
— Transylvania Open (@TransylvaniaOpn) October 28, 2021

Kontaveit, who needs to win here to secure her spot in the season-ending WTA Finals, has now won 12 consecutive matches indoors.

12 straight wins on indoor hard 🔥

🇪🇪 Anett Kontaveit continues her hot streak and takes out Van Uytvanck in Cluj!#TransylvaniaOpen pic.twitter.com/XUPv4BMOPn
— wta (@WTA) October 28, 2021