Emma Raducanu advances to semi-finals at Transylvania Open
Emma Raducanu has powered through to the last four at the Transylvania Open following a comprehensive straight-sets triumph over Poland’s Maja Chwalinska, reports BritPanorama.
The British number one dispatched the world number 146 with a 6-0, 6-4 scoreline, wrapping up proceedings in a mere 71 minutes. Raducanu delivered a faultless opening set, conceding nothing to her opponent.
Chwalinska managed to apply some pressure in the second set by securing an early break, but Raducanu responded immediately by breaking back and maintaining her serve throughout the remainder of the contest.
Speaking on court after her victory, Raducanu said: “I’m very happy with my performance today. I think I played a great match from the beginning and I’m really pleased I could get off to that start.” The 23-year-old acknowledged the difficulties she encountered as the match progressed, adding: “There’s always going to be some moments of adversity that you need to overcome and I did that well in the second set. I’m really proud of how I did that.”
Raducanu was complimentary about her Polish opponent, describing Chwalinska as “a really tricky opponent” who “moves incredibly well” and noting her impressive run through qualifying to reach the quarter-finals.
Raducanu will next take on Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, who earlier caused an upset by defeating fourth seed Xinyu Wang 6-4, 6-4. The Bromley native is chasing her first tour-level final appearance since her remarkable US Open triumph in 2021, when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title.
This marks Raducanu’s fifth WTA semi-final of her career, having previously reached the last four at the US Open in 2021, Seoul in 2022, Nottingham in 2024, and Washington in 2025. Looking ahead to her next match, Raducanu emphasised the importance of recovery between rounds.
Meanwhile, fellow Briton Sonay Kartal endured a difficult afternoon at the Abu Dhabi Open, suffering a heavy quarter-final defeat to Czech youngster Sara Beljek. Kartal was unable to build on her previous round victory over Renata Zarazua, losing 6-0, 6-2 to the 20-year-old in a one-sided encounter. The British player’s challenge collapsed dramatically as she dropped ten games in succession before finally getting on the scoreboard, bringing her tournament run to an abrupt end.
In a sport where the individual triumphs are often hard-fought, Raducanu’s path forward highlights both the grit required and the unpredictable nature of tennis, where fresh talent like Oliynykova can emerge and shift the dynamics, making every match a new contest.
