Emma Raducanu reaches first final since U.S. Open 2021 triumph

Cluj-Napoca: British No. 1 Emma Raducanu ended a long wait of four years and five months to reach her first final since her shocking U.S. Open triumph.

Raducanu came into the limelight when she won the title in New York as a 19-year-old qualifier in 2021. However, she has struggled to reach the summit clash at any event since then due to injuries, lack of form, and frequent changes in her coaching team. Recently, she parted ways with coach Francisco Roig after her second-round exit at the Australian Open.

But this week, the 23-year-old Raducanu has delivered a series of good performances to book her place in the final of the Transylvania Open, a WTA 250 tournament in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

After three victories in straight sets, top seed Raducanu survived a strong challenge from Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova to emerge victorious with a scoreline of 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals, lasting two hours and 48 minutes.

World No. 30 Raducanu will take on third seed and local favourite Sorana Cirstea, who took down Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinal, for the title.

The 35-year-old Cirstea, ranked 36th in the world, is playing the final season of her career. Agencies

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