Emma Raducanu continued her impressive run at Wimbledon by breezing past Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the second round.
The former British No.1 was handed a wildcard for the tournament following her injury troubles in the last 12 months but had no problem in the match, winning 6-1, 6-2.
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It is the first time she has made it into the third round at a Grand Slam since her 2021 US Open triumph.
She joins fellow Brit Sonay Kartal in the third round, with the latter going up against the formidable Coco Gauff.
Raducanu struggled in her first-round clash against Renata Zarazua but showed a marked improvement against Mertens, serving with precision and striking the ball cleanly throughout.
She missed the French Open to focus her training on the grass courts as the 21-year-old also prepares to gear up in the mixed doubles with Andy Murray.
Talk about impressive!
It’s a HUGE win for Emma Raducanu.
She’s beaten Elise Mertens in straight sets 6-1 6-2 to reach the third round at #WIMBLEDON#BBCTENNIS PIC.TWITTER.COM/0RSJSXM7TJ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) JULY 3, 2024
The now 135th-ranked tennis star had the crowd standing on more than one occasion and looked to be enjoying every point.
Speaking after the match, she said: “I played really good tennis and I knew all the hard yards would lead to something and I am just happy I can reap some of the rewards here in Wimbledon.”
Raducano will play No.9 seed Maria Sakkari in the last 32 on Friday, as she continues her charge towards a maiden Wimbledon title.
