Emma Raducanu maintained her momentum by securing a decisive win in her first match at the National Bank Open in Montreal on Monday.
After notable victories against Marta Kostyuk, Naomi Osaka, and former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari in Washington last week, she carried that positive energy into the WTA 1000 tournament in Canada.
Raducanu, who rose 13 spots to reclaim the title of British No. 1 at world No. 33, defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse from Romania with a score of 6-2, 6-4, in front of coach Mark Petchey, despite uncertainty surrounding their partnership following her third-round exit at Wimbledon.
Next, Raducanu will compete against American 32nd seed Peyton Stearns in the second round. She expressed gratitude for her performance: “I’m really proud of how I set aside personal feelings. It was tough playing against a good friend like Elena.”
Despite early struggles, including five break points in her opening service game, Raducanu showcased her resilience under humid conditions. She broke Ruse to lead 3-2 and went on to win six consecutive games, closing the first set at 6-2.
The second set saw an early break from Raducanu answered swiftly by Ruse, but Raducanu held her composure to break again in the seventh game and ultimately secure her victory after a competitive one hour and 37 minutes of play, taking her total wins to six in her last eight matches.
In Other Matches
Meanwhile, British No. 2 Katie Boulter faced another early exit, falling to Renata Zarazua with a score of 6-1, 7-5. Boulter struggled with 54 unforced errors, making it difficult for her to establish any momentum in her match.
On a brighter note, Genie Bouchard extended her professional career with a victory over Emiliana Arango, winning 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. She will advance to face No. 17 seed Belinda Bencic and celebrated her first WTA Tour win since 2023, highlighting her return with enthusiasm.
