Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, has spoken highly of Emma Raducanu ahead of their second-round match at SW19. Vondrousova acknowledged Raducanu’s talent, stating, “I feel like she’s a great player… She has both strong forehand, backhand. She’s a very great player. I expect tough one on Wednesday”.
Raducanu and Vondrousova are set to face off in the Round of 64 at Wimbledon. The match is scheduled as the third on Centre Court.
Vondrousova’s Perspective on Raducanu’s Journey
Vondrousova empathizes with the pressures Raducanu faces, especially as a British player. “I feel like she had it way worse because she is from a bigger country,” Vondrousova said. “She had crazy pressure. I feel like she has it in every tournament all the time”. She added, “I feel like now she’s getting better and better with it, but overall it must have been crazy for her to live all of that. Like when you win a Grand Slam from quallies, it must have been a crazy thing”.
Raducanu’s Thoughts
Raducanu is also aware of the challenge Vondrousova poses. “It’s a really difficult match,” Raducanu said. “Obviously has won Wimbledon, amazing grass-court player in general. I think I’m going to need to play very well to get over the line”.
Previous Encounters
The two players have met several times, with Raducanu winning their first encounter at Wimbledon in 2021. Raducanu recalls that match fondly: “I remember I played really good tennis… I remember I played one of the best matches I’ve played. I was so aggressive, took the ball on”. Vondrousova has won their two most recent matches.
Wimbledon Implications
The winner of the Raducanu-Vondrousova match could face World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round.
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