Emma Raducanu is back to winning ways after an impressive performance against Maya Joint, advancing to the second round of the Rome Open with a 7–5, 6-7(1), 6-3 win. The 22-year-old Brit had lost in the second round of the Madrid Open two weeks ago and was facing a tricky opponent in the young Australian teenager.
The former US Open champion had a rough start filled with unforced errors, which began to cost her toward the end of the set, but she staged a strong comeback to take control of the match and earn her first-ever win at the Italian Open.
Joint breaks early but Raducanu fights back
The match began with both players holding serve, although it was Raducanu who appeared closer to breaking already in the third game, after missing a couple of chances. However, her opponent only needed her first opportunity to get ahead.
Staying solid from the baseline, Joint took advantage of Raducanu’s unforced errors—several at the net—and secured the first break of the match to lead 4–2. The match entered a phase with little rhythm, where long rallies were rare, but Raducanu broke back to reduce the gap.
At 5–5, Joint came back from 0–40 but couldn’t close out the game, and Raducanu earned her second consecutive break while showing her best mental state of the match. The world No. 48 held serve and took the set, winning five of the last six games: 7–5.
Joint overcomes pressure moments to take second set
Raducanu kept the momentum going at the start of the second set, winning eight straight points to take a 2–0 lead after an early break. However, Joint showed her talent with a variety of shots to recover the break and stay alive in the set.
As rallies began to develop, Raducanu was the more aggressive player, while Joint tried to contain from the baseline. Once the Brit began to eliminate the unforced errors in rallies, she looked in a better position than her opponent to go for the win, and that’s how she secured the break to go ahead 3–2.
From that point on, things were fairly even, with both players holding their serve. However, when Raducanu had the chance to serve for the win, Joint kept her composure and broke back, then held serve to move ahead 6-5. It all came down to a tie-break, where Joint quickly took the lead and claimed the set 7-6 [7-1].
Raducanu rallies in decisive set
Unlike the rest of the match, the play was no longer even, and Raducanu looked much more consistent in taking control. Early on, she won 13 of the first 14 points and, without much trouble, earned two consecutive breaks.
The Brit cruised to a 5-0 lead, although she had to save a break point along the way. Just when it looked like Joint was heading for a disastrous end to the final set, she rallied from 0-5, 0-30 to hold serve for the first time in the set.
The Australian showed one last burst of resistance by recovering one of the breaks, but it wasn't enough for a comeback. Raducanu sealed the win 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-3 and secured her place in the second round of the tournament, where she’ll face Ekaterina Alexandrova — for the third time this year, with one win apiece so far.
Match Statistics Joint vs. Raducanu
| Joint | VS | Raducanu |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 1 | Aces | 3 |
| 3 | Double Faults | 4 |
| 70% (81/115) | 1st Service Percentage | 62% (59/95) |
| 57% (46/81) | 1st Service Points Won | 73% (43/59) |
| 48% (16/33) | 2nd Service Points Won | 47% (17/36) |
| 60% (9/15) | Break Points Saved | 43% (3/7) |
| 63% (10/16) | Service Games | 75% (12/16) |
| Return | ||
| 27% (16/59) | 1st Return Points Won | 43% (35/81) |
| 53% (19/36) | 2nd Return Points Won | 52% (17/33) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
| Other | ||
| 2h 41m | Match Duration | 2h 41m |
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