Emma Raducanu achieved her first victory on outdoor clay courts since 2022, fighting back from a break down in both sets to defeat Suzan Lamens 7-6(4), 6-4 in the opening round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
The former US Open champion missed much of the 2023 clay season due to multiple wrist and ankle surgeries. Her 2024 clay court campaign had also seen limited action prior to arriving in Madrid.
Entering this year`s tournament, Raducanu faced a challenging first-round opponent in World No. 73 Suzan Lamens. The 25-year-old Dutch player claimed her maiden WTA title in Osaka last October and was in good form, having reached the semifinals in Rouen the previous week with victories over players like Bianca Andreescu and Linda Noskova.
Lamens` aggressive shot-making, particularly from her forehand, tested Raducanu throughout the encounter. However, Raducanu demonstrated better composure and execution in crucial moments. She narrowly won a tight first-set tiebreak and recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the second set to secure the win.
In the second round, the Briton will play No. 24 seed Marta Kostyuk. Their only previous meeting was at the same stage in Madrid in 2022, where Raducanu won 6-2, 6-1 to even their head-to-head record at one win each.
Match moments: In the first-ever encounter between the two players, there were two particularly decisive periods of play. Neither woman found her best rhythm consistently in the first set, until Lamens, facing a 6-5 deficit, unleashed a barrage of powerful forehands. Employing her strongest weapon to great effect, Lamens pushed the set to a tiebreak and secured a 3-2 lead with a mini-break via impressive winners. Yet, she subsequently surrendered her lead with a series of unforced errors, culminating in a poor backhand on set point.
Lamens quickly recovered her forehand prowess to break Raducanu and take a 2-0 lead in the second set, only to give the break straight back with a double fault. At 3-3 on Lamens` serve, both players produced their highest level of tennis in a lengthy, six-deuce game. Lamens had seven chances to hold serve but couldn`t convert, as Raducanu attacked aggressively on the return. When Raducanu finally earned her first break point of the game with a forehand winner, she immediately seized the opportunity as Lamens netted a backhand.
That extended game proved to be the turning point, and Raducanu confidently progressed to close out the match. She played a more solid contest overall than Lamens, hitting 19 winners to Lamens` 26 but committing significantly fewer unforced errors (33 compared to Lamens` 42).
