Emma Raducanu advanced to the second round of Wimbledon for the fourth consecutive year after defeating fellow Briton Xu in the first round. “I’m pleased to come through that match – it’s so difficult to play another Brit first round,” Raducanu said, admitting she had moments of lost focus but was happy to have “toughed it out.”
Facing Xu, who was making her senior Grand Slam debut, Raducanu’s experience proved decisive. She now prepares to face 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round. “It’s my favourite tournament so far and I’m so happy to get another match here,” she added.
Meanwhile, Sonay Kartal secured Britain’s first victory of this year’s Wimbledon, defeating No.20 seed Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 in a thrilling match. Kartal described it as “by far one of the toughest matches I’ve played” and celebrated her revenge after losing to Ostapenko in Eastbourne last week.
Kartal, who reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2024, credited the tournament for boosting her confidence “on and off the court.” She will next face Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, who advanced after Ons Jabeur retired from their match due to injury.
