- Emma Raducanu defeated Elise Mertens 6-1, 6-2 at Wimbledon on Wednesday
- The British star put in a dominant performance to advance to the third round.
- He said it was an “honour” to partner Andy Murray in the mixed doubles.
Emma Raducanu advanced to the third round of the women’s singles at Wimbledon after sealing a dominant straight-sets victory against Elise Mertens on Wednesday.
The British tennis star, who received a wild card for the tournament, advanced to the second round after beating lucky loser Renata Zarazua in her opening match on Monday.
Despite claiming she had “won ugly” during that match, she went on to claim an impressive 6-1 6-2 victory against the Belgian star, who is ranked world number one in doubles.
After claiming victory, Raducanu admitted that she felt she had “played some really great tennis” after breaking Mertens’ serve twice in the first set to go 5-0 ahead, allowing her opponent to win a game before taking the set. She would break her opponent’s serve twice again in the second set, this time taking a 5-1 lead, allowing Mertens to get a game back before taking the match.
The 21-year-old will now face ninth seed Maria Sakkari or Dutch player Arantxa Rus in the third round.
Emma Raducanu (pictured) has advanced to the third round of the Wimbledon women’s singles tournament
The British star (pictured) claimed a dominant straight-sets win against Elise Mertens on Court One
Mertens (pictured), world number one in doubles, would suffer a 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Raducanu.
“It makes me feel amazing (to be here), I feel very, very welcome here and honestly, Court 1 is my favourite court,” she said, enjoying the atmosphere in front of her home crowd.
“I think I played really good tennis today, I’m very satisfied,” she added.
It was a complete performance from the British star, who saved two break points in the match and hit 22 winners to his opponent’s 14.
After a difficult year, which saw her undergo multiple surgeries for various wrist and ankle problems, Raducanu admitted she was delighted to be back at Wimbledon.
‘I’m really happy to be able to play here and to be able to extend my stay for another day, so I’m really grateful to everyone.
“Especially with the roof closed, it’s very loud! I’m very grateful to everyone for making so much noise.”
On what she did differently today compared to Monday, Raducanu added: “I think the most important thing is to focus on myself. I did really well today, I minded my business. I think staying in the zone, in your own environment, is the best thing you can do to win the match.”
Earlier on Wednesday, it was confirmed that Raducanu would partner Andy Murray in the mixed doubles in a sensational British partnership.
Raducanu had previously admitted it was her dream to play alongside the three-time Grand Slam champion but said she was honoured to be asked to play alongside Murray in what is expected to be his final appearance at the All England Championships.
After admitting she “won badly” in her opening match against Renata Zarazua, Raducanu (pictured) said she was satisfied with her performance.
The 21-year-old (pictured) also said it was “a real gift and honour” to play alongside Andy Murray in mixed doubles.
It was announced on Wednesday that the pair would partner for the mixed event at Wimbledon this year.
“I’m not sure, my doubles record is not exactly the longest or the most extensive. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, he’s a hero to all of us,” she said.
“It’s a real gift and a real honor. A moment I could never say no to, and I’m looking forward to learning a thing or two, about how to get to the net or whatever.”
