Emma Raducanu secured her initial outdoor clay court victory since 2022 at the Mutua Madrid Open. She overcame Suzan Lamens in the first round with a 7-6(4), 6-4 score, recovering from being down a break in both sets.
Raducanu`s 2023 clay season was largely missed due to multiple wrist and ankle surgeries, and her 2024 clay campaign was cut short after an early exit in Madrid previously.
This year`s draw presented a challenge in the form of the world No. 73, Suzan Lamens. The 25-year-old from the Netherlands recently won her first Hologic WTA Tour title in Osaka and reached the semifinals in Rouen the previous week, including victories over notable players like Bianca Andreescu and Linda Noskova.
Lamens` powerful shot-making, particularly from her forehand wing, posed a consistent threat. However, Raducanu demonstrated better execution in crucial moments, narrowly winning the first-set tiebreak and overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the second set.
Raducanu`s next opponent will be 24th seed Marta Kostyuk in the second round. Their only previous meeting was at the same event in 2022, where Raducanu won in straight sets (6-2, 6-1) to even their head-to-head record at one win apiece.
Match Highlights and Turning Points
In this first-time encounter between the two players, there were several pivotal passages of play. The first set was tightly contested, with neither player finding consistent rhythm until late on. Trailing 6-5, Lamens unleashed a series of powerful forehands to force a tiebreak. She gained an early mini-break for 3-2 in the tiebreak but then lost her advantage due to a string of unforced errors, ultimately dropping the set with a shanked backhand on set point.
In the second set, Lamens broke serve to take a 2-0 lead but immediately gave the break back via a double fault. A significant turning point occurred at 3-3 on Lamens` serve during a prolonged game that went to six deuces. Lamens had seven opportunities to hold but was unable to convert any, facing aggressive returns from Raducanu. When Raducanu finally earned her first break point chance of the game with a forehand winner, she converted it immediately as Lamens hit a backhand into the net.
Winning that extended game proved decisive. From that point, Raducanu moved confidently towards securing the victory. Her performance was characterized by greater consistency, making only 33 unforced errors compared to Lamens` 42, despite hitting fewer winners (19 vs 26).
