Outstanding Raducanu defeats Navarro in captivating contest at Miami Open
The 2021 US Open champion came through 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (3) to knock out home hope Navarro at the Hard Rock Stadium
Emma Raducanu Zuma/Psnewz
Emma Raducanu came through a gripping epic against Emma Navarro, overcoming the American 7-6 (6), 2-6, 7-6 (3) after two hours and 53 minutes to reach the third round of the Miami Open for the first time in her career.
It is the third top-10 win of the Briton’s career and her first on hard courts, with both previous victories coming on the home turf of the British grass-court swing last summer.
Against a player of Navarro’s calibre, it had to be earned the hard way in a compelling, high-quality and momentum-shifting contest that saw both players fail to serve out the match in the final set.
Despite being an encounter between the worlds No 10 and No 60, this match was played in the style of a top-5 clash, with the pair each showcasing their immense talent throughout a gripping watch.
mammoth first set goes the way of raducanu
A loose service game from the American saw Raducanu earn the first break to move 3-2 up, but the Briton couldn’t consolidate as Navarro struck straight back, converting her third break point after a double-fault from her opponent. These were the only blips on serve for either player in the opener as both defended their service games impressively, hovering around a remarkable 67% of points won behind their second serves.
A tiebreak was required to separate the pair, and it reflected the competitive and high-quality nature of the contest, as Navarro twice surrendered a two-point cushion at 4-2 and 6-4. Both of the American’s set points were excellently saved by Raducanu before the Briton leap-frogged her opponent in a four-point surge to clinch a brilliant first set.
But Navarro demonstrated the trademark tenacity that has led her into the top 10, breaking Raducanu in the third and seventh games of the second set to restore parity. The American was devastatingly clinical in that second stanza, winning 92% of her first-serve points while her opponent’s intensity understandably dipped, with Raducanu’s second-serve win percentage particularly suffering.
From that point, things looked to be going downhill for the world No 60, who required a medical timeout between the second and final sets to address blisters on her left foot before being broken to love in the opening game of the decider.
raducanu fights back in final set to seal epic win
But she displayed remarkable resilience to keep in touch on serve, fending off break points in the fifth game before striking in the sixth to earn the break back.
Suddenly Raducanu could do no wrong as she broke again in the eighth game as part of a superb four-game run. But the Briton could not serve out the win as Navarro broke back at the death to stay in contention. The American then struck again in the eleventh game, but she too could not serve it out at 6-5 as some explosive attacking tennis from Raducanu wrestled the match into a deciding tiebreak.
It was a fitting end to an epic contest, and one that the former US Open champion won 7-3 to clinch one of the biggest wins of her career since that stunning run to the title in New York.
“I have no idea how I won that match to be honest,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview, before revealing that today’s win ranks as “number one” out of her wins this year.
“I don’t know what happened – it was a match full of ups and downs and full of momentum. It was unbelievable – we were both fighting so hard.”
Victory over Navarro is by far the Briton’s biggest breakthrough this season, one that changes the complexion of her year and comes off the back of a challenging post-Australian Open. It could well form the springboard for a shift in form and fortune for the world No 60, one that may significantly help get her 2025 campaign back on track.
Raducanu will go on to face American McCartney Kessler in the third round.
