Emma Raducanu is through to her first final since winning the 2021 US Open after beating Oleksandra Oliynykova in a “brutal” three-set semi-final at the Transylvania Open. The British No 1, playing in the fifth tour-level semi-final of her career, won the first set 7-5 before her Ukrainian opponent took the second set 6-3.
Raducanu recovered in the deciding set after losing her serve early, winning four of the next five games to take the third 6-3 and secure a place in Saturday’s final at the WTA 250 event in Cluj, Romania, where she was the No 1 seed. Attempting to close out the match at the first attempt on Oliynykova’s serve when 5-2 up in the third, Raducanu squandered three match points before holding serve after her opponent moved to 15-40 on the Briton’s serve. Two well-executed drop shots helped seal the victory.
She will play Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, the third seed, in Saturday’s final, scheduled from 2.30pm live on Sky Sports Tennis.
“It was a brutal match,” said Raducanu of the near three-hour contest. “Ole, I mean, what a competitor. She made so many balls, she made so many balls tricky and when you think you’re ahead in the point, she turns it around with some really awkward shots. But credit to her, she competed when I was up in that second and I’m just most proud of how I fought and I competed myself and came back in that third set.”
Raducanu had a physio time-out in the first set to receive attention to her right shoulder. She also commented on the conditions: “The balls here get really fluffy and kind of shredded up by the court. So it’s just heavier as the balls get older, but pretty lively when the balls are new. I’m not used to playing four matches in a row and back to back. So for me, that’s an incredible thing and it just comes with the territory, I guess. But I haven’t really been in this position very often. So it’s just a bit of wear and tear that comes with back to back in the format of tennis.”
Just a week after splitting with coach Francis Roig following a second-round exit at the Australian Open, Raducanu has won four matches in five days in Cluj, dropping only one set. On finally reaching her first final since the US Open, she said: “It’s a really emotional feeling. I haven’t been in the final for five years now so it’s an amazing achievement. Just really grateful for what I’ve put out this week and for Alexis [Canter], who’s here with me and also for the great work that I’ve been doing in the past six months, the past year. It’s all coming together. So, yeah, I’m just really proud. My only focus now is to try and recover from that marathon. I think a lot of it is going to be about recovering and being in the best shape possible physically.” Speaking before Cirstea had beaten Daria Snigur 6-0, 6-3 in her semi-final, Raducanu added: “Sorana being a Romanian, it would be an incredible thing for the tournament.”
British No 2 Katie Boulter reached the fifth final of her career at the Ostrava Open, producing another strong performance to beat American Katie Volynets 6-1 6-3 in straight sets. Boulter will play Tamara Korpatsch, world No 124, in Saturday’s final from 3pm. With Raducanu also contesting a final in Romania the same day, it is the first time two British women will feature in different WTA finals on the same day.
Boulter raced to a one-set lead in just over half an hour and maintained control despite a better second set from Volynets. “I’m never satisfied but obviously really pleased with today,” Boulter said. “She really stepped up in the second set – I tried to match it as much as I could, keep trusting myself no matter what and it paid off in the end. The breaks could have easily shifted the momentum but I didn’t allow that to happen.”
In high spirits after the win, Boulter celebrated her coach Michael Joyce’s birthday and promised him a trophy. “It’s been a great week for me – It’s Micky’s birthday tomorrow and I’m going to try and get him a present – a trophy! We’re going to leave it all on the line.”