Britons Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter cruised into the round of 16 at the Rothesay International, the WTA 500 being held at a sunny Devonshire Park on Tuesday, but Lily Miyazaki lost to the experienced Elise Mertens, while Daria Kasatkina also successfully got her campaign under way on England’s south coast
In the past, for me, it’s been a struggle in terms of freshness but, at the end of it, I actually felt good. It’s very encouraging. A great start to the grass-court season, I’m very happy with where I’m at. I’ve worked really hard for it, I’m going to keep working hard for it, and hopefully there’ll be many more wins. Katie Boulter
Raducanu powered past fellow US Open champion Sloane Stephens, 6-4 6-0, delivering an impressive performance despite having to come from a break down twice in the first set, before setting up a marquee 2nd-round encounter with another American, Berlin champion and World No 5, Jessica Pegula.
Facing Stephens for the first time since the 2022 Australian Open, Raducanu was made to battle in the first set before racing away with the second.
“I think, for me, it was the case of adapting to the court,” she said afterwards. “I’ve never played in Eastbourne, I’ve never played on this Centre Court, and every court plays a little bit differently. In the beginning, I was trying to figure out what was the best way for me to play and use my game.”
A former Eastbourne semi-finalist, Stephens came into the match looking for her first win on grass, and broke for a 3-2 lead, but she could not hold serve for the remainder of the match.
Raducanu saved 2 break points to hold for 5-4, and then broke Stephens for a 3rd time to seal the first set and then sprinting to the finish line, finishing with 23 winners to 13 unforced errors, while the American could only find 11 winners to offset her 15 miscues.
After the match, the 21-year old from Bromley signed ‘My own pace’ on the court-side camera.
“I think, at one point I was chasing, playing too many tournaments when I wasn’t ready, and then I was just picking up niggle after niggle in every tournament,” Raducanu explained. “Because I never really gave myself any time to do the training and the work. I think that’s something I did a lot better this year.
“Even though I might get challenged or questioned for not playing certain tournaments, like the French Open or the Olympics, I think that, for me, that is just part of it.
“Doing things at my own speed, and doing things how I want to, rather than how everyone else thinks is best for me, because, ultimately, me, and the close few people around me, just only know what is actually best for me and my game.”
Raducanu, who will be a wild-card entry for Wimbledon next week after missing last year’s tournament because of wrist and ankle surgeries, will face Pegula next, who leads their head-to-head record, 1-0, having beaten the Brit in the Last 16 at Cincinnati in 2022.
British No 1 Katie Boulter flew out of the blocks against Petra Martic, and was pushed in the second set before prevailing at Devonshire Park
© Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for LTA
Following Raducanu onto centre court was Katie Boulter, who, after a stunning start, eventually dispatched Petra Martic, a lucky loser from Croatia, 6-1 7-6(8).
The British No 1 flew out of the blocks and looked to be heading to bag a bagel until Martic managed to get herself on the board late in the first set.
There was bound to be a dip after such a brilliant start, particularly as Martic found her range in the second, while there also was a distracting squabble with the umpire over the alleged tactical advice Boulter was receiving from the far end of the court, but the 27-year old held her nerve in the breaker to advance, and now will face Jelena Ostapenko, the 5th seed from Latvia.
“That was a little stressful, a little more dramatic, than I hoped it would be,” Boulter admitted afterwards, having lost to Martic here last year. “I’m very happy to be through that.”
Boulter, who seems well recovered from the illness that caused her to withdraw from Birmingham, after beating Raducanu en route to the title in Nottingham, enjoys playing at Eastbourne, but quipped about the town’s seagulls.
“I’m just really happy to be here in Eastbourne, even though I’m seeing a lot of seagulls when I’m serving!” Boulter said. “It’s not that fun, but I do enjoy being down here, and the sunshine’s out, so there’s a smile on my face, always.”
Boulter, who needed a wild-card to enter Wimbledon last year, will play at this year’s Championships as a seed, the result of her rise to a career-best ranking of 27, although she currently sits at No 32.
She has produced several wins over Top 20 players, including defeating Pegula to defend her Nottingham crown.
“That week was definitely one of the toughest weeks for sure,” Boulter said. “It was a lot of matches but I think the best thing for me is I came out of that week physically feeling good.
“In the past, for me, it’s been a struggle in terms of freshness but, at the end of it, I actually felt good. It’s very encouraging.
“A great start to the grass-court season, I’m very happy with where I’m at. I’ve worked really hard for it, I’m going to keep working hard for it, and hopefully there’ll be many more wins.”
Boulter’s next opponent, Ostapenko, who won the title here in Eastbourne in 2021 and reached the 2022 final before her successful run was ended by Czech Petra Kvitova, professes to love the grass.
Last year’s finalist Daria Kasatkina got past Wang Xinyu to reach the Last 16 at Eastbourne on Tuesday
© Inaki EsnaolaGetty Images
Meanwhile, Lily Miyazaki, the current British No 4, was defeated by the WTA doubles World No 1 Elise Mertens, 6-1 6-2.
Despite breaking early in the first set, the British wild-card struggled to capitalise on her first serves, winning just 46% of points when it landed throughout the match.
The 28-year-old Brit now turns her attention to Wimbledon, where she also receives a main draw wild-card.
On Tuesday evening, Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, the No 6 seed and last year’s finalist, defeated China’s Wang Xinyu, 6-4 6-2, to reach the Last 16, and the World No 14 now will face another Chinese, Yuan Yue, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, American Ashlyn Krueger held off Viktorija Golubic from Switzerland in an all-qualifier 1st-round contest, 6-1 6-7(7) 7-5, after missing her a match point in the second-set breaker, and eventually needing 5 to get herself over the line,
Lily Miyazaki, the British No 4, was unable to build her early advantage against Elise Mertens, and lost in 2 sets on Tuesday
