October 30, (THEWILL) – Emma Raducanu’s ambitions of winning the Transylvania Open were dashed when she was defeated 6-2 6-1 in the quarterfinals by Marta Kostyuk, a fellow teenager.
Raducanu, who won the US Open in September, had never won a WTA Tour level match before this week, but she won two in three days with victories over Ana Bogdan and Polona Hercog. However, Kostyuk proved too much of a challenge.
Raducanu was broken in her first game, but the powerful Ukrainian – who is a year older than the British number one at 19 – was in inspirational form to make it to the final four in just 57 minutes.
Raducanu had come back from a set down to beat Hercog earlier in the week, but she had no answer for Kostyuk’s crisp hitting, which displayed all of the qualities that have helped her make her name on the WTA Tour since she was a youngster.
As a couple of Raducanu double faults – blunders that would become numerous – reared their heads early on, Kostyuk, the world number 55, rallied from 15-40 down to claim the first game.
Raducanu fashioned a couple of chances to break back after her nerves were calmed, first at 2-1 down and then – in a more clear-cut fashion – at 3-2 down when she held break points. However, Kostyuk’s powerful ground strokes were complemented by a refined touch as she rattled off three consecutive points to take a 4-2 lead.
After holding off the break, Raducanu crashed a forehand into the net, giving Kostyuk a second break, and the Ukrainian served out a one-sided set in under half an hour.
In the second set, Raducanu wilted, and it was more of the same. More double faults handed her opponent the advantage in the first game for the second time, and Kostyuk had too much for her younger opponent with the freedom of a set and a break lead.
Raducanu only won one more game, but she reserved her best tennis for the last game of the match. The Brit fought off three match points and forced a couple of game points of her own, but Kostyuk was too brilliant, too often, and her position in the final four was confirmed when Raducanu’s forehand went wide.
Simona Halep, the top seed, will now face Kostyuk instead of Raducanu. After chatting with the two-time Grand Slam champion prior to the tournament’s start last weekend, Raducanu hailed her as an inspiration and hoped to see her in the following round.
But Raducanu, who has been accompanied by her father this week as her quest for a coach continues, will travel to Romania to meet her grandmother following a week in which she has made significant progress in her young career despite Friday’s defeat.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
