CNN
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No tennis matches won Emma Radukanu The only worry of late is that staying injury-free has become difficult for the British star.
The 20-year-old has suffered a slew of injuries over the past 18 months that have cast a shadow over her hopes of success on the court.
But Radukan runs Indian Wells showed glimpses of the form that brought her Grand Slam success in 2021 as she finished in the last 16 Indian Wells on the Monday after defeating no. Beatriz Haddad Maia with 13 seeds in three sets, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.
At the same time, Radukanu reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open for the first time in her career, and also won three matches in a row for only the second time since winning the US Open in September 2021.
Radukan last managed three straight victories in 2022 at the WTA 250 in Seoul, South Korea before being forced to retire again against Elena Ostapenko in the semi-finals due to injury.
After defeating Brazil’s Haddad Maia – Raducanu’s highest-ranked scalp since her US Open victory almost two years ago – the Briton’s analysis showed she played “really at a high level in some parts of the match.”
“I think I played very well in the first set and also in the third set,” Radukan told reporters. “There were really good points and moments. I think overall the level went up in the third and it was a battle for both of us.”
Aside from a lingering wrist injury that hampered her last season, Radukanou suffered an ankle injury ahead of the Australian Open earlier this year and tonsillitis forced her to pull out of the Austin Open last month.
After her victory over the world no. 21. Magda Lynette admitted in the previous round at Indian Wells to Radukan that she was still in pain.
However, Radukanou got off to a great start against Haddad Maia, taking down her twice in the first set.
The 26-year-old Brazilian showed her determination – and why she won second place in the WTA rankings last year – by beating Raducana twice in the second set to equalize.
In a tight final set, Radukanu showed enough guts to snap a six-game losing streak against top 20 opponents.
The current world is not. The 77th will now meet with the first racket of the world. 1 Iga Swiatek, in the next round after the three-time Grand Slam winner, continued her impressive form in 2023 by beating 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in straight sets.