Canada’s Bianca Andreescu (left) shakes hands with Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu after day three of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
Canada’s Bianca Andreescu beat Britain’s Emma Raducanu 6-3 3-6 6-2 at the Miami Open on Wednesday, looking the former US Open champion in top form as she recovers from a series of first-round injuries.
Andreescu, coming off a third-round loss to world number one Iga Sviatek in Indian Wells, served seven aces and saved 11 of the 12 break points she faced against Radukanu to face Greek seventh seed Maria Sakkari.
“I just came in here wanting to play my best with what I had today, I think I did,” Andreescu said during his courtside interview.
“I didn’t let my negative emotions get to me. I stayed positive, I was very energetic and I just never gave up. Those were the keys today.”
The 22-year-old Canadian raced into a 2-0 lead when Raducanu sent a forehand long and remained in control as she closed out the opening on her fourth set point when the Briton lobbed into the net.
Radukanu turned aggressor in the second set and got the edge he needed in a wild eighth game, which he won on his seventh break point before taking a 5-3 lead.
World number 31 Andreescu came back from 0-40 down to serve in the opening game to lead 4-2 when Raducanu desperately got hold of a one-handed backhand which he sent long.
Closing the finish line, Andreescu ended the two-hour, 32-minute encounter with another break on his first match point when Raducanu sent a forehand long.
Andreescu, who retired with a shoulder injury during a semifinal match at the Thailand Open in February, is still looking for his first title since the 2019 US Open.
Radukanu, who comes to Miami after losing to Sviatek in the fourth round at Indian Wells, has also been plagued by injury and inconsistency as he burst onto the scene with his shock win at the 2021 US Open.
In addition to the wrist injury that cut short his 2022 season, Radukanu suffered an ankle problem before the Australian Open and tonsillitis forced him out of the Austin Open last month.
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