Emotional Emma Raducanu claims first victory over a top-10 opponent

Fresh off a resounding victory over Sloane Stephens yesterday, Emma Raducanu is back in action today, facing off against another US tennis star, Jessica Pegula, in the second round in Eastbourne.

Raducanu claimed victory in straight sets (6-4,6-0) on Tuesday, her best effort on grass since she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2021.

The former US Open champion then took the opportunity to hit back at her critics, writing the words ‘‘My own pace’’ on a camera lens before leaving the court.

This comes amid considerable criticism for her decision to turn down opportunities to play in competitions such as the French Open and the Olympics, in favour of sticking to just one surface, and not overpopulating her schedule.

The world No 168 goes into today’s game positively, having declared that she has “rekindled a fire inside me,” through competing on home soil.

She said: “I’m just really into it at the moment. I love the sport. I love tennis. I’ve really rekindled a light and a fire inside of me. Just very happy and enjoying it a lot.”

Standing in the way of Raducanu and a place in the final eight of Eastbourne today, is Pegula.

A stern challenge for the Brit, Pegula goes into the match as the tournament’s No 2 seed, alongside having recently won the Berlin Ladies’ Open, where she defeated Anna Kalinskaya in the final after saving five championship points.

She is also currently ranked fifth in the world in singles competition.

The pair have faced off once before, with Pegula taking the victory in 2022.

Raducanu and Pegula are on court following a straight sets victory for fellow Briton Katie Boulter over Jelena Ostapenko 6-4 7-5. Both Boulter and Raducanu have been drawn in the bottom half of the draw in Eastbourne and could meet each other in the semi-finals if they get that far.