Emma Raducanu stages remarkable comeback at the Transylvania Open
Emma Raducanu pulled off a stunning fightback at the Transylvania Open, recovering from a seemingly hopeless position to beat Kaja Juvan 7-5 6-1 and book her spot in the quarter-finals, reports BritPanorama.
The British No.1 found herself trailing 5-0 after just 25 minutes against the world No.97 from Slovenia, visibly frustrated with her performance. The top seed was broken in each of her first three service games, handing Juvan a commanding advantage that looked insurmountable.
However, this match marked Raducanu’s first tournament since parting ways with coach Francis Roig following her early exit from the Australian Open, and she made a statement with this extraordinary turnaround in Cluj-Napoca. Raducanu rattled off five games in just 22 minutes to level the set at 5-5, displaying the fighting spirit that made her a Grand Slam champion back in 2021.
She held serve before breaking her opponent for a fourth time, converting her second set point to clinch the opener 7-5 after an hour and two minutes. The second set proved far more straightforward as she maintained her impressive momentum, winning 11 games in a row to complete the transformation.
Speaking to the crowd after her victory, Raducanu expressed her gratitude for their backing during those challenging early moments. “Thank you for the support, it really got me through some tricky moments in that first set,” she said. “I have to say Kaja was playing some great tennis, was putting me on the back foot straightaway.” She acknowledged her struggle early on, stating, “I thought I was being aggressive, going for my shots, but I was missing and not executing.” Raducanu added, “At least I can say I was trying to play on my terms. I don’t think I’ve ever come back from 5-0 down before so that’s a first to add to the experience.”
Raducanu’s next challenge comes in the form of Maja Chwalinska, a Polish qualifier ranked 146th in the world, who impressed with a 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 victory over seventh seed Olga Danilovic. Should she progress, Raducanu would face either Chinese fourth seed Wang Xiyu or Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, who gained significant attention at the Australian Open due to her tattoos.
This is Raducanu’s first appearance at this event since 2021, when she fell to Marta Kostyuk at the same stage, managing just three games. The tournament winner will earn £27,172 and 250 ranking points, with Raducanu having already secured 54 for reaching the last eight.
In a sport where narratives can shift as quickly as the scorelines, Raducanu’s comeback serves not only as a reminder of her resilience but also of the unpredictable nature of competitive tennis. As players grasp for consistency, her journey in Cluj may yet reveal another chapter worth following closely.
