Emma Raducanu 6-7(3), 1-1 Aryna Sabalenka*

Raducanu is serving well today and she gets the game won with a powerful first serve down the T.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:59

*Emma Raducanu 6-7(3), 0-1 Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka holds confidently at the start of the second set.

Francis Roig is constantly talking from the side of the court, which would drive me mad and seems like a surefire way to annoy his own player. Is he aware that Raducanu’s coaches have a shorter shelf life than Watford managers?

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:57

Raducanu told off by chair umpire

Here was that incident with the umpire, who told Raducanu not to engage with her new coach on the side of the court:

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:54

First set! Emma Raducanu 6-7(3) Aryna Sabalenka*

Excellent by Raducanu, facing five set points, winning the first two with sweetly struck winners. But Sabalenka fires an almost unreturnable serve down the T, and that’s the first set sewn up.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:51

Emma Raducanu 6-6 (1-5) Aryna Sabalenka*

Sabalenka speeds into the lead, with the help of a double fault by Raducanu. An ace gives Sabalenka a 5-1 lead at the change of ends.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:48

*Emma Raducanu 6-6 Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka gets lucky at 15-0 with a backhand which lands on the net cord, drawing Raducanu into an error. But the world No 1 is ruthless from there, bulldozing her way to a love-hold with a bankhand cross-court winner.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:43

Emma Raducanu 6-5 Aryna Sabalenka*

Raducanu hits a lovely forehand winner on to the tramline at 30-0, whipped over the net with top-spin, and then serves it out with an ace.

Sabalenka will serve to stay in the first set.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:39

*Emma Raducanu 5-5 Aryna Sabalenka

Sabalenka looks frustrated as she makes a couple of wild swings during her service game, but she still holds with an ace to stay on serve.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:37

Emma Raducanu 5-4 Aryna Sabalenka*

At 30-15, Raducanu throws in a loose double fault to give Sabalenka a sniff and the world No 1 earns herself a break point opportunity, but fires wide with a forehand to bring up deuce. An excellent wide serve by Raducanu gives her advantage, but she loses the next point and then follows it with another double fault.

Sabalenka is just as erratic with her return, though, eventually firing a forehand into the net and a backhand long to give up the game.

“Relax, stay positive,” says Francis Roig repeatedly to Raducanu from courtside.

Raducanu rushes over to speak to him at the end of the game, and she’s told off by the umpire: “You cannot actively go to him.”

“I cannot hear him, the music is too loud,” Raducanu complains.

“Then he needs to speak louder,” comes the umpire’s reply.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:35

*Emma Raducanu 4-4 Aryna Sabalenka

Break! Raducanu earns two break-back points at 15-40, but loses the first with a wild forehand on the stretch. She takes the next one, though, as Sabalenka crashes a backhand into the net!

We’ve got a match, here.

Lawrence Ostlere11 August 2025 18:26