Emma Raducanu is the first to acknowledge that beating Iga Swiatek will be an extremely tough task but also noted that she is looking forward to the challenge because she feels she has nothing to lose.
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On Thursday, the British tennis star saw off Amanda Anisimova 6-3 7-5 to reach the Australian Open third round and make the third round of a hard-court Grand Slam for the first time since the 2021 US Open.
Before beating Anisimova, Raducanu also earned a very notable straight-set first-round win over No. 26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
As a reward, she gets a crack at five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek for the fourth time in her career.
"[I probably have to reach] 15th gear if that exists. Its a great opportunity for me. I can just go out there and swing, play, enjoy the atmosphere. Im looking forward to it," the world No. 62 told Eurosport's Barbara Schett on the court following her win.
"Its the [fourth] time that we play. Its going to be a great match, and a great opportunity for me to play in front of an amazing atmosphere, which I love the most."
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The past meetings between Raducanu and Swiatek
The first meeting between the two came on the clay courts of Stuttgart in 2022 April, when the Pole won 6-4 6-4.
In 2023, they met for the second time - this time on hard in Indian Wells - but it was again the same winner as the world No. 2 claimed a 6-3 6-1 victory.
And last April, they squared off in Stuttgart once again. While the Briton played solid, she still lost in straight sets after the former world No. 1 triumphed 7-6 (2) 6-3.
If Raducanu can play her game on Saturday, there is no doubt that she will at least be competitve - and who knows - maybe even get her first win against Swiatek.
