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After a grueling clash in Romania, top seed Emma Raducanu emerged victorious against Oleksandra Oliynykova, booking her place in the Transylvania Open final. The win is her first WTA final appearance since the unforgettable US Open in 2021.
Raducanu, now 23, shot to global fame as a teenager when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam. Since that historic triumph, however, numerous injuries and coaching changes have prevented her from maintaining consistent results, leaving her US Open trophy as her only title.
Friday’s match in Cluj-Napoca tested her resilience to the limit. Raducanu couldn’t serve out the first set on her first attempt, allowing Oliynykova to break back, but she recovered to take the next two games. Oliynykova responded in the second set, breaking Raducanu three times to force a decider. In the final set, the British star recovered from a break down and, after saving multiple break-back chances, finally sealed the win, 7-5 3-6 6-3. The victory ended a six-match streak of losses in deciding sets and marked her first three-set triumph since Eastbourne in June.
Competing in Romania, where her father was born, Raducanu has bounced back strongly after a disappointing second-round loss at the Australian Open and subsequent split with coach Francisco Roig. Her determination and resilience have carried her all the way to the final, and she even took a moment to greet the crowd in Romanian, connecting with fans on a personal level.
The WTA 250 Transylvania Open final will see Raducanu face local favorite Sorana Cirstea, offering the chance for the British star to capture her first title in five years. Meanwhile, Katie Boulter also reached the final at the Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic, marking a rare occasion with two British women contesting WTA Tour finals on the same day. (source: BBC)
