Raducanu into the second week after another hard-fought straight sets victory

By Paul Lagan at Wimbledon
Centre Court

Raducanu v Sakkari
6-2, 6-3

The opposition is getting better by the match, but Emma Raducanu is responding in kind and saw off Maria Sakkari in straight sets to reach the 4th round of the Championships.
Her baseline game is of the highest quality and that will be tested next week.
But she looks free from her recent injuries and is hitting the ball as hard as anyone in the draw.
Raducanu won the toss, gave service to her opponent and then proceeded to break the Greek player while then holding her own.
Maria Sakkari is an upgrade to the quality the girl from Bromley has faced so far this week and she needed to start well if she was going to make it into the second week.
The No9 seed soon found her feet and was moving the South Londoner all over the court.
Raducanu’s response was poise and power.
But it wasn’t quite enough as Sakkari won to make it 2-1.Games went with serves with Raducanu just about holding her own.
A long rally on game point was won by Raducanu and sent the partisan crowd wild as she kept her break alive in the set to lead 4-2.
At break point it against her Raducanu who kept her nerve, and more importantly the ball in court and the winning shot, a top-spin lob was wonderfully executed to give her a 5-2 lead on her serve.
After a couple of dodgy moments and after 44 minutes, Raducanu hit a first serve which saw Sakkari hit her return long giving her the set.

Sakkari’s first serve was letting her own in the third game allowing Raducanu to attack it with a modicum of success – taking a 14-30 lead, which soon went to break point, which Raducanu took full advantage of yet another second serve to break and take a 2-1 lead.
A risky service game saw Raducanu come through – just. Whenever she was under pressure, she managed to put in a strong first serve and it was enough to get her the required points.
Sakkari became more frustrated that her returns were just missing the mark.
Raducanu produced one of her best service games of her match so far to take it and a 4-2 lead.
Service games were won by both leaving the Greek right-hander needing to win her game and stay in the tournament.
Crashing the ball into the net was not the best start. A wild return that went wide, did not help her cause. She won a clean winner to make it 15-30, and an excellent first serve was returned wide.
Her next first serve let her down as Raducanu smashed the ball for a winner and match point.
Sakkari got it back to deuce, then her advantage.
Her first serve deserted her again and a return went wide to bring it back to deuce.
And a smash into the net set up Raducanu’s second match point.
Sakkari’s first serve saved her again. Before a nervous double fault served up a third match point. Could Raducanu do it?
Well yes she did.