Amidst the sweltering heat in Washington DC, both Raducanu and Sakkari found it challenging to maintain their service games during the initial set. The British player managed to capitalize on three out of her six opportunities to break serve, while her adversary succeeded on two out of four.
Nevertheless, with the score at 4-4, Raducanu delivered a crucial blow, breaking Sakkari’s serve for the third occasion before securing a second chance to win the set.
Sakkari, aged 29 and the tournament’s runner-up from the previous year, had a chance to extend the match by breaking serve in the sixth game of the second set. She then defended two break points, establishing a 5-2 advantage.
However, Raducanu responded strongly, winning five consecutive games, which included converting two of her five break points, and ultimately clinching the second set with a score of 7-5.
She required medical attention from a physical therapist during the second set, later commenting that she felt “somewhat unsteady” due to the intense heat.
“The conditions were truly harsh today,” Raducanu commented further. “The match was lengthy; the first set alone exceeded an hour. You simply have to embrace the difficulty and give your all on the court.”
“Maria put on an outstanding performance, and her style of play benefits greatly from the energetic nature of the conditions.”
“I must now focus on preparing for the doubles match and finding refuge from the heat. I began to feel a little shaky towards the conclusion of the second set.”
In the realm of men’s doubles, Neal Skupski, representing Britain, and his Australian teammate John-Patrick Smith advanced to the semi-finals after mounting a comeback from a set down to defeat the fourth-seeded pair of Michael Venus and Yuki Bhambri with scores of 3-6, 6-4, and 10-7.
