Emma Raducanu was feeling "pretty drained" after leaving it all on the court against Jessica Pegula but it was a sweet victory after which the 21-year-old had something cheeky for her critics.
After picking a couple of defeats versus top-10 players earlier this year, 21-year-old Raducanu finally got her first top-10 win on Wednesday after beating world No. 5 Pegula 4-6 7-6 (6) 7-5 in the Eastbourne round-of-16. Before getting the job done, the Briton was hanging by a thread a couple of times but just didn't allow the second-seeded American to win.
In the second set, Pegula appeared to be heading toward sealing a two-set set. But Raducanu miraculously survived after recovering from a break down and later saving a match point in the tie-break.
In the decider, Raducanu was 5-2 up before twice failing to serve out for the match. But luckily for the 21-year-old Briton, she escaped a devastating loss after breaking Pegula again in the 11th game and serving out for the match in the next game.
Considering that Pegula was the second seed in Eastbourne and coming off a victorious week in Berlin, that makes Raducanu's win even more impressive.
I am pretty drained right now but I just want to say thanks to everyone again for getting me through some really difficult moments in that match, Raducanu said in her courtside interview.
It is incredibly difficult when you are playing someone so in form like Jessica. She came off the back of a great run in Berlin and no doubt she is feeling confident on the grass.
I am really pleased with how I managed to navigate some really tough situations and I didnt think I would be able to get myself out of it, so I would say this match is one of the more meaningful ones to me. I have been going through some stuff, so to come through has been really nice.
Raducanu takes a shot at critics: Contrary to some beliefs...
Wednesday wasn't only a good day for Raducanu as two more British players enjoyed a great day at the office - Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart. Boulter, who won Nottingham two weeks ago, defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko to reach the Eastbourne quarterfinal while Harriet Dart beat 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
Today, Raducanu returns to the court to play against world No. 14 Daria Kasatkina. Meanwhile, Boulter is scheduled to take on 2024 French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini while Dart is set for a meeting against 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.
And when addressing the results of British players, Raducanu took a shot at critics.
It is really good healthy competition. We all see each other progressing into the next round and just want to join them no-one wants to be left behind. That is the way it should be, pushing each other, and that is definitely the case now in the men and women. We are all doing really well, especially on the grass," Raducanu said.
We all come alive on this surface, so I am very pleased and it is a testament to how we have been training and putting training in. Contrary to some beliefs about us I think we are all doing a pretty good job.
Raducanu couldn't hide her happiness after her first top-10 win.
Shortly after getting one of the biggest wins of her career, Raducanu capped off her day with an Instagram post and it was something creative.
The first of the three pictures on the slide showed Raducanu holding her head in disbelief after completing a dramatic win. The second picture was forehand shot and the third showed the 21-year-old looking very focused while preparing for a return.
The post was captioned: "Black canvas."
Also, Raducanu had the shot of the day in Eastbourne.
Now Raducanu will have to leave the Pegula win behind and mentally prepare for today's match against Kasatkina since this is a great opportunity to make back-to-back semifinals. When Raducanu meets Kasatkina today, it will be their second meeting. Their first and lone meeting came in Ostrava two years ago, which the Russian won.
One thing is for sure - the stands will again be full when Raducanu enters the court.
