Raducanu to lean on Wimbledon support network for tough Vondrousova showdown
Raducanu, who reached the second round on Monday with a solid 6-3, 6-3 win over the 17-year-old British wildcard Mimi Xu, reflected on the additional support she has received at the All England Club. 'At Wimbledon, it's particularly special. I had really good friends in the box there,' said Raducanu, before reeling off a list of names. 'To have them all here in this one week, and the way the stars align that they could be here, it means so much when I see them there. It just makes me really happy.'
After her win, Raducanu said that it was emotional to briefly catch up with those close friends and the feeling of being supported sharply contrasts to her solitary existence the rest of the tennis season. 'Big time,' said Raducanu. 'After the match there, I just went outside to see them for five or 10 minutes and speak to them. And that's just an opportunity that is so rare, and you don't really get that at other tournaments, because I don't really travel my friends out. They have lives. So I have a few friends in other cities, but to have my real core, best friends here, it means a lot.'
Raducanu is accompanied at Wimbledon by her coach, Mark Petchey, and the former player Jane O'Donoghue, who acts as an elder sister figure. With her fitness coach, Yutaka Nakamura, away for personal reasons, Raducanu is working with Ian Aylward, a strength and conditioning coach for the LTA, and the rest of the British governing body's fitness personnel.
She will need all of their encouragement as she faces an extremely difficult task in round two against the in-form Vondrousova. Two years ago, the Czech produced one of the most surprising title runs in Wimbledon history. She was a French Open finalist in 2019 aged 19 and the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, but Vondrousova's career has been ravaged by serious injuries. After already missing significant periods in her career due to multiple wrist operations, she underwent surgery on her left shoulder in 2023 shortly after her Wimbledon title run.
Although she has struggled to compete regularly on the tour, she has shown her quality during her brief periods of good health. Nine days ago, Vondrousova won the Berlin Open WTA 500 event with supreme victories over Aryna Sabalenka – the world No 1 – and Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion. Vondrousova is an intelligent, crafty left-hander who outsmarts players with her vast variety of shots. The 26-year-old has won her last two matches against Raducanu, including in straight sets this year in Abu Dhabi, but the Briton beat her in the second round of Wimbledon in 2021 right at the beginning of her breakthrough run.
'I remember watching her when I was young making the final of the French,' said Raducanu. 'She was so young there. Always seemed like way above me, way further ahead than me. Then she had wrist surgery and then came back and won Wimbledon, which is incredible. So she's a really, really talented player. We played earlier on in the year in Abu Dhabi. I know she's super tough. It's very difficult to maintain that top level after winning a slam. But yeah, she's really playing in form right now.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
I'm not going to change – Tyrrell Hatton comfortable with his angry reputation
England's Tyrrell Hatton insists he is too old to change his habits but is comfortable losing his 's***' on the golf course. The world number 23, who finished fourth at last month's US Open, has earned a reputation for expletive-laden rounds when things are not going to plan. He has spent plenty of time defending his conduct, but there was little evidence of bad behaviour as he carded a 69 to move to five under and three off the lead in The Open at Royal Portrush. Asked whether he had toned it down on Friday, the LIV golfer said: 'I was still pretty vocal. Maybe I'm just having to do it away from the microphone.' Offered the chance to give an example, he added: 'No, it'll get me in trouble. It was pretty negative stuff. 'I'm not going to change. I'm 33. I think that ship has sailed, to be honest. It's just how I am, how I play. 'I've always felt like even though I can be losing my s**t, I can get over the next shot and still have a clear mind of what I'm still trying to achieve on that shot. 'Although from the outside it looks like I'm completely gone, in my own mind I still know where I'm at.' He took three to get on the driveable par-four fifth and made bogey, his only dropped shot on the front nine, and that had the potential to set him off but he held it together with a bounce-back birdie and another, his third, on the ninth. Hatton birdied the short 13th but then missed the green at the next for his other dropped shot, before parring his way home. 'It felt like a pretty frustrating day. I didn't hit it particularly close on many holes,' he added. 'I missed the green with a lob wedge into 14, which after a perfect tee shot was frustrating and obviously ended up making bogey. That was a bit of a shame, but it's been a solid couple of days. 'I'm happy with a few parts of my game. I'd like to be in the fairway more this weekend and hitting it a bit closer, but we'll see how we go.'
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Rory McIlroy confident of a weekend charge in The Open at Royal Portrush
World number two Rory McIlroy is targeting a weekend hot streak at The Open as he seeks to make up for a missed opportunity in front of a home crowd at Royal Portrush. Six years ago, he failed to make the weekend by a stroke after a terrible first day, but there was no danger of that this time around as a second-round 69 left him three under and within five of clubhouse leader and former champion Brian Harman. Since 1970, 89 per cent of Open winners have been within four of the lead after 36 holes so McIlroy will have to buck that trend, but he is feeling good about his game. 'I maybe could be a couple closer to the lead, but overall in a decent position heading into the weekend. 'I didn't have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I'm very excited for that. 'I feel like my game's definitely good enough to make a run. 'I've been somewhat close to my best over the first two days in little bits here and there. 'I'm going to need to have it all under control and have it sort of all firing over the weekend to make a run.' The Masters champion mixed the majestic with the mediocre over the front nine before gaining some control after turning for home. Last in the field for driving accuracy on Thursday after hitting just two fairways, he struggled to recalibrate his radar early on but that did not prevent him making birdie at the first from 18 feet after finding the semi-rough. However, he was a foot from driving out of bounds at the par-five next and had to take an unplayable lie and eventually chipped to seven feet to save par. The 176-yard third caused him problems as his tee shot caught the bank of a bunker, forcing him to stand in the sand and choke down halfway on the shaft of his wedge with his ball well above his feet and that resulted in a bogey. A 348-yard drive and approach to six feet brought a birdie at the next but the driveable par-four fifth caused him problems after pulling his three-wood into a bunker, which produced the response, 'Don't go in there. Idiot.' Another bogey followed and despite hammering a 372-yard drive down the par-five seventh he came up short with his approach, chipped to nine feet but missed the birdie attempt. There were more missed fairways, although seven found over the course of his round represented a significant improvement, but he was able to pick up two shots coming home without further drama. His eagle putt grazed the hole at the 12th and chipped an 87-yard approach to 17ft for another birdie on the 14th.
Scottish Sun
29 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
How Wimbledon hero Andy Murray could enter qualifying for The Open – but must pay £200 fee
ANDY MURRAY could qualify for golf's Open Championship next year. The two-time Wimbledon champion retired from tennis last summer after a legendary career. 3 Andy Murray could try and qualify for next year's Open Credit: Alamy But since hanging up his racquet, he has dusted off his golf clubs instead. And he has enjoyed a stunning year on the course by getting his handicap down to a reported 1.9. Murray, 38, shows not signs of slowing down in his pursuit of getting to scratch. He beat Carlos Alcaraz in their three-match mini-series during the Spaniard's run to the Wimbledon final. READ MORE ON THE OPEN HARRY PUTTER Thomas tries casting spell on ball in desperate attempt to nail birdie putt And if he can get his handicap to 0.4 - and stump up the £200 fee - he could enter regional qualifying for next year's 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. Ex-Premier League footballers Jimmy Bullard and Peter Odemwingie both gave it a go in 2025 but did not progress. But Ryder Cup hero Ludvig Aberg threw his full support behind Murray's golf game. The Swede, 25, said: "He brings it up really nicely with the hands. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "The club face is quite neutral, so it's not going to be biased whether he hits a draw or a fade. "Considering it's someone who played tennis at this level, it's pretty stinking good. Awkward moment fart noise stuns Open commentators into silence before pair burst out laughing "In any sport or any profession, whether it's golf or tennis or something else, you need to spend time on it. "The technique of golf is quite tricky, naturally, so you do need to spend a lot of time on it." Aberg - who shot a four-under 67 to move to -2 after round two of The Open - added to the Daily Mail: "Hey, that swing was really good! Like it was really, really good! "Man, I was impressed! "They told us to be as honest as we can but I just didn't know what to say. "I think he's going to be able to play really good golf in the future." 3 Ludvig Aberg was singing Murray's praises after watching his swing Credit: Getty
