Stuttgart: Emma Raducanu sets up Iga Swiatek QF showdown with highly impressive win

Emma Raducanu delivered a major performance to beat Linda Noskova and set up a Stuttgart quarterfinal against world No. 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek.

Raducanu, who entered the Stuttgart main draw as a wildcard, ousted world No. 31 Noskova 6-0 7-5 while defending Stuttgart champion Swiatek saw off Elise Mertens 6-3 6-4. 

When the match started, both Raducanu and Noskova had chances in their return games but it was the Briton who saved a break point in the first and third game while realizing her break point in the second and fourth game. Up 4-0, Raducanu then routinely served out the fifth game for a 5-0 lead before breaking Noskova again in the following game to complete a first-set bagel.

At the start of the second set, Raducanu kept playing well but Noskova stabilized and managed to get through a couple of her service games. In the eighth game, Raducanu didn’t convert the first break point of the second set but she earned another break points in the 12th game – which at the same time were match points – and converted her second match point to get the job done against Noskova in two sets. 

Emma Raducanu© Getty Images Sport – Aurelien Meunier

A day earlier, Raducanu destroyed three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber 6-2 6-1.

Swiatek also wins as she is now set for a Raducanu meeting 

After saving two consecutive break points in the first game of the match, Swiatek broke Mertens in the second and sixth games for a comfortable 5-1 lead. Swiatek failed to serve out for the first set in the seventh game but made no mistake when serving for the set for the second time two games later.

Early in the second set, Swiatek broke Mertens in the third game but the Belgian instantly got the break back in the fourth game. However, blowing an early second-set break didn’t impact Swiatek much, who broke Noskova again in the seventh game and then held on to her serve for the remainder of the set to seal a two-set win.

For Raducanu, 21, and 22-year-old Swiatek, this will be their third meeting. Interestingly their first meeting came in Stuttgart two years ago and in the quarterfinal stage. Back then, Swiatek ended Raducanu’s debut in the quarterfinal with a 6-4 6-4 win.

Emma Raducanu and Iga Swiatek © Getty Images Sport – Julian Finney

Last month, Raducanu and Swiatek clashed for the second time and it was again the Pole who ended on the winning side – having won their Indian Wells round-of-16 match with a 6-3 6-1 scoreline.

Heading into the match, Raducanu is certainly in great form but Swiatek is a dominant force on clay and will still enter the match as the big favorite against the 2021 US Open champion.