Emma Raducanu proves too strong for Naomi Osaka in Washington
Speaking on Sky Sports, Raducanu said: 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four slams, she's been world number one, won Masters.
That was some performance 👏@EmmaRaducanu defeats Osaka 6-4, 6-2 to secure her place in the quarterfinals once again in DC!#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/kTzKAXM0zg
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 24, 2025
'She's so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she's particularly comfortable. I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did.
'I was making some inroads in her service games after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and the conditions here in DC.'
The result means the 22-year-old will once again overtake Katie Boulter to become the top-ranked British player as she looks to secure a seeding for next month's US Open.
Raducanu ended Boulter's two-year run at the top of the domestic standings in June but then slipped back to 46 in the world after losing a close tussle with Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon.
Making a statement 😤@EmmaRaducanu battles past Osaka 6-4, 6-2 to return to the quarterfinals in Washington DC.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/9ffyJOTXNy
— wta (@WTA) July 24, 2025
Her two victories here, though, could mean Raducanu returns to the top 40, and she will definitely pass Boulter following her opening round defeat to Maria Sakkari.
It will be the Greek that Raducanu plays next, and she has not dropped a set in three previous meetings.
Raducanu was sharp from the start against Osaka, who continues to search for a way back to the top of the game after giving birth to daughter Shai two years ago.
A double fault from the Japanese star gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game and the British player was rock solid on serve as she wrapped up the opening set.
Raducanu is without a coach in Washington amid uncertainty over the future of her partnership with Mark Petchey and has only hitting partner Alexis Canter in her corner, but there was no lack of direction in this performance.
She was helped to another break at the start of the second set by more errors from Osaka, who created a first chance on the Raducanu serve at 1-2 but could not take it.
Raducanu's serve has improved markedly under Petchey and was her key weapon here as she moved through to a third quarter-final in Washington with strong hopes of going further.
Cameron Norrie could not match Raducanu, though, the British number two beaten 7-6 (3) 6-3 by American 14th seed Brandon Nakashima.
Dan Evans' hopes of another deep run in Washington two years after he won the title are also over after he lost 6-2 7-6 (4) to France's Corentin Moutet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
8 minutes ago
- Wales Online
What the 2029 Lions team could look like as Louis Rees-Zammit joins Jac Morgan
What the 2029 Lions team could look like as Louis Rees-Zammit joins Jac Morgan With the 2025 series now done and dusted, attention is already turning to the tour of New Zealand in four years time Morgan and Rees-Zammit could both feature for the Lions in 2029 (Image: Adam Pretty - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images) The 2025 British & Irish Lions tour is done and dusted, with Andy Farrell's squad heading home from Australia as series winners. It wasn't always easy, with only a last-gasp Hugo Keenan try in the second Test separating them from a series defeat in the end, but Farrell's men still managed to win all but one of their games Down Under, becoming the first triumphant touring side since 2013. However, while the action has only just come to an end, focus is already switching to the next tour in four years' time. The scheduled 2029 tour will see the Lions head back to New Zealand, where they tied the series with the All Blacks on their last visit back in 2017. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Just days after the third and final Test of this year's tour in Brisbane, there is already debate over who will be involved next time around. Head coach Farrell has received backing to lead the squad again in 2029, but what about the players? Many of this year's tourists will be out of contention by the time the next tour comes around, while there is also likely to be some currently-unknown talents who will put themselves in the mix over the next four years. That said, we've had a go at predicting what the Lions team may look like come 2029, with Jac Morgan no longer the only Welsh player involved. Article continues below Of course, four years is a very long time in rugby, so this could well end up being completely wrong. However, on the off-chance that I could look like a genius, let's take a look into the crystal ball. Back three: Two past tourists and one debutant in this pacey back-three, with Kinghorn making it on to successive tours and Rees-Zammit making a return to a Lions squad eight years on from being a bolter for the 2021 tour of South Africa. Scotland star Kinghorn is a class act who added dynamism to the Lions attack Down Under, proving a threat with his pace, aerial ability and impressive boot. While he will be 32 by the time the next tour rolls around, the versatile Toulouse back has improved with age and if he can continue to follow that trajectory, he will be hard to shift from the starting side. Rees-Zammit's inclusion here may well raise a few eyebrows given his 18-month break from rugby to try to crack the NFL. But the Welshman has now announced his return and there are very few players in world rugby that can match him for athletic ability and star factor. Four years - by which time he'll be 28 - is more than enough time for him to work his way into contention for a Lions starting spot. Last year, it looked as though Cardiff-born Feyi-Waboso was destined to make it into Andy Farrell's squad for this summer's tour, but a lengthy layoff with a shoulder injury scuppered his chances. However, if he can stay injury-free, his outstanding pace and power should make him another potential starter. There are plenty of honourable mentions to be made here, however, with the likes of Mack Hansen, Freddie Steward and Henry Arundell among the names that will also be pushing to be involved. From a Welsh perspective, Blair Murray and Tom Rogers could well be in a position to challenge for a place four years down the line too. Centres: Tommy Freeman, Sione Tuipulotu While has played most of his rugby to date on the wing, Freeman admits that a more permanent transition to centre "is on the cards" for England and he will have likely become assured in the position at Test level by 2029. With impressive athleticism and a powerful carry, he is a formidable attacking option on his day and should be at his peak when the tour of New Zealand comes around. There may well be a few more question marks over Tuipulotu's involvement, but the Scotland star - who will be 32 in 2029 - is an explosive carrier with strong footwork and distribution skills and, at the moment at least, is the best option that the Lions have going into the next tour. Of course, though, four years is an awful long time in rugby and some new stars may well force their way into the conversation before the next tour. In Wales, it is hoped that the highly-rated 20-year-old Macs Page will light up the international stage in the coming years, while Mason Grady will also be entering his peak if he can stay injury-free. England's Ollie Lawrence is also very unlucky not to get the nod here, while Scotland's Tom Jordan and Ireland's Jamie Osborne are also contenders. Meanwhile, Osborne's experienced international team-mate Garry Ringrose could well be picked for successive tours at the age of 34. Half-backs: Fin Smith, Ben White Northampton Saints star Smith went straight into the Lions starting XV for the warm-up against Argentina and he is the leading contender to take the No.10 jersey on the next tour. The Englishman has already proven himself to be an assured, reliable match-winner and this tour will have been invaluable to his development. Scotland scrum-half Ben White should also be at the top of his game by the time 2029 comes around, with the likes of Jamison Gibson-Park and Tomos Williams set to be either retired or reaching the tail-end of their careers. Marcus Smith, Sam Prendergast and Jack Crowley are all likely to be in the picture at fly-half, with the former - the more experienced of the Smiths - potentially aggrieved to not be starting. Meanwhile, England duo Alex Mitchell and Jack van Poortvliet are also set to be scrum-half candidates. Front row: Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Dan Sheehan, Will Stuart Into the forwards, and there is a degree of familiarity with Sheehan and Stuart both making the cut. Ireland hooker Sheehan was a real contender for the player of the tour this summer, and is currently one of the best in the world, combining the power of a forward with a pace of a back and scoring a bucketload of tries at the same time. He could even be a candidate for captain in four years' time. Stuart, meanwhile, had a quieter tour than the Irishman but got better as the summer went on. The Bath tighthead is now the cornerstone of England's scrum and, at 33, will be a highly-experienced Test veteran by the time of the New Zealand tour. At the other end of the front row, Opoku-Fordjour is set to be one of the youngest members of the next Lions tour, having already got a flavour for it at the age of 20 after being called in to train with Farrell's squad this summer. While he currently has a solitary cap for England, the Sale man has massive potential and is a powerful scrummager who can play at both loosehead and tighthead. Honourable mentions for the props go to 2025 tourists Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter, as well as the likes of Fin Baxter, Zander Fagerson and Afolabi Fasogbon. Wales star Dewi Lake is also expected to provide competition at hooker, while Theo Dan will also be in the mix. Second row: Maro Itoje, Joe McCarthy Not much change here as the lock combination for the opening Test against the Wallabies returns to the engine room four years later. Itoje led Farrell's men admirably Down Under and while, at 34, he will be reaching the tail end of his career by the time the New Zealand tour comes around, there are few better operators in world rugby and he will be an experienced, dependable presence at the heart of the pack. His absence in the second half of the final Test against the Wallabies was very noticeable. McCarthy, meanwhile, was one of the form players this summer, before a plantar fasciitis issue robbed him of further involvement in the second and third Tests. Boasting immense physicality, he will be 28 and at the peak of his powers in New Zealand, which should make him one of the first names on the teamsheet. However, England's Ollie Chessum will also fancy his chances of making successive tours, while Wales star Dafydd Jenkins has also been tipped to push for a Lions place in four years' time. By that time, highly-rated English teenager Junior Kpoku could also be an option. Back row: Henry Pollock, Jac Morgan, Caelan Doris (capt) Another familiar feel to the back row, with Pollock and Morgan both making the cut for a second tour. While he may have been the bolter for this year's tour, Pollock would be 24 in New Zealand and, if he can keep his remarkable trajectory going, could well be one of the best back row players in the world by that time. Morgan, meanwhile, did Wales proud this summer as the nation's only representative for much of the tour following Tomos Williams' early departure. While, hopefully, the Ospreys man will not be so outnumbered in four years' time, he will likely still be the standout Welsh talent at the Lions coach's disposal and should take the starting jersey that he missed out on during this year's Test series. Finally, while it will come four years later than he would have hoped, Doris should become a Test Lion, having missed this summer's tour due to a cruel injury blow just days before Farrell named his squad. The Irish talisman was the favourite to be named captain for the tour Down Under before that setback, but will be older (31) and wiser in four years' time and should have the honour bestowed on him then. Article continues below As for honourable mentions, Tom Curry was one of the standout performers of the 2025 tour, but whether his body will be able to sustain four more years of high-level rugby remains to be seen. Ben Earl will also be right in the mix for the 2029 tour, while the very highly-rated Morgan Morse could be an outside bet if he breaks on to the international stage with Wales. Potential Lions 2029 XV: 15. Blair Kinghorn; 14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13. Tommy Freeman, 12. Sione Tuipulotu, 11. Louis Rees-Zammit; 10. Fin Smith, 9. Ben White; 1. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2. Dan Sheehan, 3. Will Stuart; 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Joe McCarthy; 6. Henry Pollock, 7. Jac Morgan, 8. Caelan Doris (capt) (7 x England, 3 x Scotland, 3 x Ireland, 2 x Wales)
South Wales Guardian
8 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Howd'yadoit proves a pleasant surprise for Lyons in Naas feature
Completing a treble on the day, Keane got up close home on the 13-2 chance – who had shed his maiden tag at the fourth time of asking at Down Royal last month – to hold off Unbreakable Duke by a nose. Unbreakable Duke was subsequently demoted to third, with Summer Is Tomorrow promoted to second, following a stewards' inquiry into interference. British raider Jel Pepper (6-4 favourite) was fourth for Paul and Oliver Cole, while Prix Robert Papin winner Green Sense was withdrawn by Joseph O'Brien due to unsuitable ground. Lyons – who teamed up with Keane to land this race with Sacred Bridge in 2021 – admitted: 'I'm gobsmacked, as I didn't think he'd be good enough. 'What an honest horse, he's been doing it well. We wanted to win a maiden en route to winning a nursery, but he (handicapper) hit him with a mark that I thought was ridiculous for what I felt was a poor maiden. 'We came here because it was a good pot, and I said any bit of the prize-money is grand. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he'd win.' He added: 'I'm delighted as Sean's (Jones, owner) horses are now bought for and named by his sons Eddie and James to keep them interested and they are here today. They are the next generation, so it's great. 'Sean has been with me from day one and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.'
The Independent
8 minutes ago
- The Independent
How ‘warrior' Mohammed Siraj set the tone to announce a new era for India
Mohammed Siraj woke up on a drizzly morning in south London realising that the time was now. India were up against it and heading towards a fifth Test defeat against England and subsequently a 3-1 series loss. A scoreline that would not reflect the fierce battle between the two sides over 25 days, with each Test meandering to a climax over its full duration. Siraj had bowled 1,088 balls by this stage. Yet as much as his physical endurance, his composure was tested, too. That misfield on day four at The Oval, stumbling and staggering into the boundary after clutching Harry Brook for, what would have been, a match-turning score of 19. A mistake that cost India 92 runs before the most dramatic of six-run victories. 'When he woke up in the morning, he believed he could do it,' former India wicket-keeper and Sky Sports pundit Dinesh Karthik confirmed. 'Then he took a screenshot of something from Google that said, 'believe'. He put it out there because he wanted to get it done.' And believe he did. England started the day needing just 35 runs in their pursuit of 374. Prasidh Krishna coughed up eight runs from the rest of his over, finished overnight after the bad light and rain scuppered a premature conclusion to this enthralling Test. Siraj then dialled up the pace and added some menacing swing, too, with Jamie Smith bamboozled immediately. A couple of near misses followed a delicate nick back to Dhruv Jurel with his third ball, sparking bedlam. Siraj wheeled away, arms outstretched, but the chaotic celebrations were temporarily cut short due to umpire Kumar Dharmasena's bizarre move to verify that the catch was clean. Of course, it was, and Siraj had duly delivered the belief India needed to hunt down another three wickets for victory and a drawn series. The rest of the match-winning spell, ending at 3-9 from just 25 balls, saw Jamie Overton trapped lbw, before Gus Atkinson finally departed, despite a gritty effort to shield the one-armed, heroic Chris Woakes from this devilish Indian pace attack. His stumps rearranged to put the exclamation mark on this iconic win. While Jasprit Bumrah remains the finest bowler in the world, with his ailing body unable to allow more than three appearances in this epic series, Siraj has underlined his importance, confirming the duo, whenever they do line up together, as one of the great fast bowling pairs in the game. Cricket, a sport riddled by the quirks of trends and numbers, shows us that India win just 41.67 percent of the games he plays, but that rises to 71.43 percent without him, according to cricket statistician Ric Finlay. While Siraj's inclusion ensures a 53.66 percent win rate and just 40.00 percent without him. Naturally, it is daft to suggest India are better off without Bumrah, but there is something about Siraj and the emotional impact that numbers cannot measure with this fiery seamer and unique character. "You don't seem to look at the bowlers as much,' Karthik remarked when highlighting how batters usually get the credit. 'Not just today, but Siraj walked in today trying to be the man. He has bowled like an absolute warrior; he's done the donkey's work too. He's hit 90mph, I couldn't be more proud of him as a bowler." It is that energy and the ability to dig deep when others wilt. Take the wicket of Atkinson to clinch the match, clattering the stumps in this most chaotic of finales. It was clocked at 143kmph, according to CricViz, his fifth-quickest ball of the series. That, after 1,111 balls in this series, shows remarkable strength. As proven with others, such as Ben Stokes, and the aforementioned Bumrah, who, despite their brilliance, have been unable to hold up to this relentless pace of five Tests and 25 sapping days of play crammed into 46 days. 'He's a captain's dream,' concluded the gleeful India skipper Shubman Gill. 'Coming in for five matches, giving absolutely everything. Every team wants a player like him, and we're very lucky to have him.' If Bumrah is India's talisman, then Siraj has elevated himself to be his partner in crime and a sensational stand-in when needed. An intimidating presence for the opposition and an able supporter of his teammates when tensions spill over in highly-charged moments, as proven during the antics at Lord's after Zak Crawley's theatrics to delay play on day three. He is also the ultimate counter-puncher, as proven by the final delivery on day three at the Oval to rearrange Crawley's stumps. If Test cricket is about momentum, then Siraj can swing it as much as the ball. 'I've always had great admiration and respect for Siraj as a competitor,' Ben Stokes conceded following the fifth Test. 'He keeps coming and coming and coming. 'You know he'll always be in a fight with you. He's an example of what it means. I have respect for how he goes about his cricket and how he takes it on.' The tourists had a mindset throughout the series that they were 'not given a chance,' according to KL Rahul, with key figures Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma absent. But the India opener insists that the fifth Test victory is 'where the change begins' and that 'it means absolutely everything.' If that is the case, then Siraj's impact might just be felt for many years to come.
