British No 1 Emma Raducanu is ready to take on Janice Tjen knowing she must be wary of the Indonesian qualifier who has won six tournaments and 59 matches in her first season on the WTA Tour.
Former champion Raducanu took a step towards exorcising her recent US Open demons, earning her first victory at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2021 by beating Japan’s Ena Shibahara 6-1 6-2 in the first round on Sunday.
The 22-year-old has brought her level up a couple of notches this year, reaching the Washington Open semi-finals and taking world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka to the brink at Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
Emma Raducanu spoke to Sky Sports after her impressive win against Ena Shibahara
But she faces Tjen, who upset No 24 seed Veronika Kudermetova, to became the first Indonesian player for more than 20 years to win a Grand Slam singles match and move on to an encounter with Raducanu on Louis Armstrong Stadium – live from 4pm on Sky Sports Tennis.
Raducanu’s incredible 2021 run to the US Open title helped inspire her opponent to believe a career in the professional game was possible.
Watching from Pepperdine University in California was sociology student Tjen, who may have produced one of the most surprising results of the tournament so far on paper, but a closer look at the 23-year-old’s trajectory makes it somewhat less shocking.
In her first season on the professional tour, Tjen has won six tournaments and 59 matches, and has climbed from outside 400 in the rankings to the brink of the top 100, qualifying for her maiden Grand Slam tournament here.
Tjen: Raducanu an inspiration
Martina Navratilova has been impressed with Raducanu’s tennis IQ
Raducanu, of course, became the only qualifier ever to win a Grand Slam title, and Tjen said: “When Emma won the tournament and (was) having an incredible run here, I was actually in college, and I was injured at the time, so I got to watch a lot of tennis.
“Just seeing her doing it made me inspired to be able to do it, as well. Emma is very big. Everyone loves Emma at home. She’s a very well known player, and I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
Tjen and Filipina Alexandra Eala both claimed big victories for Asia in round one, and the chance to write history for her nation is another motivating factor.
“It means a lot,” said Tjen. “I feel proud to be able to do this for my country. Hopefully, by me making an appearance here, it will help inspire more tennis players, younger kids to play tennis and also believing that they can be here too.”
Raducanu may very well never have seen Tjen before this week, adding to potential nerves, but the British No 1 could scarcely have cut a more relaxed and happy figure in New York so far.
Roig’s presence giving Raducanu confidence
Sky Sports Tennis pundit and former player Laura Robson analyses Raducanu’s serve return leading into the US Open
It took her just over an hour to brush aside Shibahara, with the workout so light that she immediately headed back to the practice court with new coach Francisco Roig.
The Spaniard’s presence in her box is another reason for Raducanu’s confidence, with the pair quickly having struck up a good relationship and understanding.
“I put a lot of trust in what I’m doing with Francisco on the practice court,” said Raducanu. “I think we’re just working really well, doing the right stuff on the practice court and I just feel like I’m improving.
“To take confidence from what I’m doing behind the scenes and not just have confidence because I have won these matches on the tour. I’m doing a lot day to day. It’s going well and I’m enjoying it.
“I’m enjoying getting better and the process of feeling like, at the end of the day, I’m satisfied I got a little bit better, and just repeating it. I think that’s probably the biggest success and reason to why I feel the way I do right now.”
Raducanu focusing on her own game
Highlights of Raducanu agains Shibahara in her opening match at the US Open
Raducanu has always enjoyed scouting future opponents herself and putting her analytical skills to the test but she revealed she is keeping the focus on herself as she bids to follow up a first New York win for four years.
“I think I’m probably watching less now,” she said. “I just have a good awareness of the opponent, what they like to do and a lot more centred around me.
“I think I’m trusting myself, trusting my own abilities, a lot more and I know what I need to do on the court as well, not necessarily searching so much to the box, asking for what to do, only if I feel like I really need it.
“I think that’s helped me keep myself in the match, my head in the match, rather than looking up, getting distracted and kind of searching for something.”
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