Raducanu through to Wimbledon 3rd round

BBC

Emma Raducanu cruised past Belgium’s Elise Mertens to join fellow Briton Sonay Kartal in the Wimbledon third round.

Former British number one Raducanu, given a wildcard in her return to the Championships after last year's injury troubles, struck the ball confidently and clinically in a 6-1 6-2 win.

It is the first time she has reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since lifting the 2021 US Open title as an 18-year-old qualifer.

Raducanu's impressive victory came a couple of hours after 22-year-old qualifier Kartal produced the biggest win of her career to beat France's Clara Burel in three sets.

Kartal, ranked 298th in the world, won 6-3 5-7 6-3 to become the first home player to reach the Wimbledon third round this year.

She will face US Open champion Coco Gauff after the American's 6-2 6-1 win over Anca Todoni.

If Raducanu's first-round win was all about "winning ugly", her dominant victory over 33rd-ranked Mertens was a thing of beauty.

The 21-year-old's clean ball-striking was a marked improvement from the win over Mexican lucky loser Renata Zarazua.

Raducanu produced a nervy return and a double fault in the opening two points of the match but quickly settled down to assert her authority.

Serving strongly and overpowering Mertens with her power from the baseline was the key.

Now ranked 135th in the world, Raducanu raced through the opening set to the delight of the home fans on Court One and maintained her level in an equally impressive second set.

Missing the clay-court French Open in order to be better prepared for the Wimbledon grass has proved to be a wise decision.

After reaching the Nottingham semi-finals and beating world number five Jessica Pegula on her way to the Eastbourne quarter-finals, Raducanu arrived at Wimbledon in encouraging form.

The way she dismantled Mertens has further excited the British crowd.

Asked in her on-court interview if it was the best she had played in the past few years, several fans in a boisterous crowd shouted 'yes'.

A laughing Raducanu replied: "Well, everyone else said yes!"

"I played really good tennis and I knew all the hard yards would lead to something and I am just happy I can reap some of the rewards here in Wimbledon."

Raducanu will play Greek ninth seed Maria Sakkari - who she memorably beat to reach the US Open final almost three years ago - in the last 32 on Friday.