Raducanu Defeats Sakkari 3-0 with a Stunning Performance in Dubai

Raducanu Defeats Sakkari 3-0 with a Stunning Performance in Dubai

February 17, 2025: Emma Raducanu ended her winless streak and proved her latest wild-card decision right as she defeated former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari in straight sets.

Raducanu’s decision to accept another wild card in the Middle East raised some eyebrows, as she had already suffered defeats to Cristina Bucsa, Marketa Vondrousova, and Ekaterina Alexandrova following her impressive run at the Australian Open. However, Raducanu stuck to her usual approach and played a solid match, defeating Sakkari 6-4, 6-2. This marked her 13th wild card invitation out of her last 18 tournaments.

In the Dubai match, Raducanu's serve was at its best, which we hadn’t seen this season. Her serve came to her rescue at crucial moments. While trying to close out the first set, Raducanu found herself 0-30 down but hit two superb serves to frustrate Sakkari and secure the set.

Raducanu’s serve showed improvement, but the key difference in the match was Sakkari’s instability. Sakkari, who spent three years in the top 10, has recently seen a decline in her performance, and her record against top-10 players this year stands at only two wins and ten losses.

The crucial change in Raducanu’s game was her aggressive return and powerful serve, which helped her claim victory. However, this level of performance may not be enough for bigger matches in the future.

In her second-round match, Raducanu will need a stronger performance to face former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova. However, Raducanu’s fans will hope that she builds on this win and continues to improve her performance consistently throughout the season.

Despite her past struggles, Raducanu plans to participate in all the major WTA tournaments of 2025, and if she keeps progressing, she will sharpen her game and add more strength to her play.