Emma Raducanu must maintain her intensity levels for longer if she is to challenge the top players, says Laura Robson.
Raducanu won just one game against second seed Iga Swiatek as she lost 11 in a row in a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing in the third round of the Australian Open at the Rod Laver Enviornment.
The 22-year-old came into the tournament with no warm-up matches due to a back spasm and, although she said there were “no excuses” when it came to her fitness, Robson found positives in the tough defeat.
“The positive was that Raducanu was moving well and when he was able to stay in the rally, he was able to score some good points, but the difference for me was in the intensity of the two,” he told Sky Sports activities. tennis expert Robson on Eurosport.
“In some ways, it will be a learning curve for Raducanu.
“If she wants to challenge these top players then she needs to play with intensity for longer and that’s what she already knows.
“Raducanu will be the first to say that it’s about getting matches and tournaments under her belt because when you get to this level, Swiatek has played so many third rounds of Grand Slams that she felt comfortable, and it was very evident from the beginning. point in the match.
“The footwork and sharpness was there every time he approached the line, and if you’re not used to that pace, speed or power, then it’s very difficult.”
The loss to Swiatek equaled the most serious defeat of Raducanu’s career: the one suffered against Elena Rybakina at a WTA Tour event in Sydney three years ago.
Swiatek played 69 WTA main draw matches in 2024, while Raducanu won 20 of the 33 matches she participated in and this difference was evident on the court.
“Swiatek knows exactly what to do at the most important points,” Robson added.
“He was able to go one step further, while Raducanu, who had not played in any tournament before this match and faced two very different opponents in the first two rounds, gave him a lot of unforced errors to work with.
“Swiatek gave her absolutely nothing to work with and she was an excellent favorite.”
Following her loss, Raducanu was proud of how she handled the occasion despite the score and is eager to get back to work as her next tournament is scheduled to be in Singapore in just over a week. live on Sky Sports activities Tennis.
She also highlighted her serve as the key area she needs to work on if she wants to get close to the top players after suffering 16 serves in six units and committing 24 double faults.
“Throughout the game we saw Raducanu sit behind the backline and he was trying to do something different, but it’s hard to keep changing the point,” Robson added.
“She would have pushed her preparations for this, but Switek did well because for me he played an almost perfect match.
“She was serving almost exclusively Radcanu’s backhand and made the same point over and over again.”
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina will join Swiatek in the round of 16.
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