Emma Raducanu has regained the British No 1 ranking after defeating four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Citi Open in Washington. The 22-year-old produced a confident performance, breaking Osaka's serve twice in the first set and once more early in the second to seal victory in just over an hour.
Speaking after the match, Raducanu acknowledged the quality of her opponent. 'I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi’s won four slams, she’s been world No 1, won Masters [titles]. She’s so dangerous and on the hard courts I think she’s particularly comfortable,' she said. 'I knew I was going to have to play really well and manage my own service games, which I’m really proud of how I did.'
The win ensures Raducanu will overtake Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal to become the top-ranked British player once again. She had briefly held the position in June after ending Boulter's two-year reign, but slipped back following a third-round defeat at Wimbledon. With two victories in Washington, she is set to return to the world's top 40 and will face Maria Sakkari in the quarter-finals, a player she has beaten in all three previous meetings without dropping a set.
Raducanu was sharp from the start, forcing early errors from Osaka, who has been working her way back after giving birth two years ago. A double fault from the Japanese gave Raducanu the first break in the fifth game, and the Briton served solidly to take the opening set. She broke again at the start of the second set and, despite facing her first break point at 1-2, held firm to close out the match. Raducanu is currently without a full-time coach in Washington, working only with hitting partner Alexis Canter, but showed no lack of direction in her game.
Elsewhere, Cameron Norrie lost 7-6 (3), 6-3 to American 14th seed Brandon Nakashima, while Dan Evans was beaten 6-2, 7-6 (4) by France’s Corentin Moutet, ending British men's hopes in the singles draw.
