When Emma Raducanu speared an ace wide of Leylah Fernandez to complete the most extraordinary Grand Slam victory in the history of tennis, few would have thought it would be 1,610 days before she was in a position to compete for silverware again.
But here it is at last, as Raducanu beat Oleksandra Oliynykova in the semi-finals of the Transylvanian Open – a match won thanks to an incredible sequence of 16 consecutive points in the deciding set – to move into her first final since that hot and heady night in New York in 2021.
And for the first time in history, two British women will compete in singles finals on the same day, with Katie Boulter also progressing in Ostrava.
We must start with Raducanu and, after all that has happened over the last four years – all those injuries, all those coaches, all that searing public attention – this feels like the clearing of a huge physiological barrier. The 23-year-old has made steady progress, especially over the last 18 months, but lost the three semi-finals she has contested since the 2021 US Open. She has broken that streak now and awaits the winner of the second semi-final between Sorana Cirstea and Daria Snigur.
‘It was an incredible match, proud of how I competed, how I managed the match, I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support,’ said Raducanu who has received plenty of local support in the country of her father’s birth, and did part of her winner’s speech in Romanian. ‘It’s an incredible feeling, I really feel like I’m at home here.’
The contrast to 2021 could not be greater. At that Grand Slam Raducanu was the rankest of outsiders, while at this modest WTA 250 event her ranking of world No30 is good for the top seeding. There is always personal significance for her playing here in Romania, the country of her father’s birth, and she has had plenty of local support this week.
A word on her opponent, the outspoken and outlandish Oliynykova. The 25-year-old Ukrainian has an array of tattoos, mostly permanent but some temporary, such as the bats with which she has decorated her cheeks for this event in tribute to the region’s vampiric tradition.
Emma Raducanu punches the air on her way to victory at the Transylvanian Open on Friday
Raducanu did well to avoid being driven to distraction by her opponent’s soft-ball tactics
If you think that sounds unorthodox then just wait until you see her play tennis. The world No91 has an ultra-defensive style, chipping or looping the ball back in court and waiting for her opponent to crack. Playing her looks about as fun as a root canal.
But the British No1 did well to avoid being driven to distraction and frustration by her opponent’s soft-ball tactics, eventually striking a decent balance between aggression and patience. Without a permanent coach – she has 27-year-old Brit Alexis Canter in her corner this week – she also showed a fine ability to think on her feet.
And she recovered from the disappointment of losing the second set from a break up to ease through the decider thanks to that blitz of consecutive points, winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in two hours and 49 minutes.
Elsewhere in Eastern Europe, Boulter thrashed American Katie Volynets 6-1, 6-3 to reach the final of the Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic. It is her first tour final since Hong Kong in October 2024 and a much-needed run after a dreadful 2024 season. The 29-year-old will face either Diane Parry or Tamara Korpatsch in the final.
It was a good day for GB’s men, too, as former Wimbledon doubles champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glaspool finished off a 3-0 win in the Davis Cup tie against Norway. Britain will face either Australia or Ecuador in September for a place in the eight-team finals.
