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Emma Raducanu cruised past Belgium’s Elise Mertens to join fellow Briton Sonay Kartal in the Wimbledon third round. The former British number one, returning to the Championships as a wildcard after last year’s injury troubles, displayed a confident and clinical performance, securing a 6-1 6-2 victory.
This marks the first time Raducanu has reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament since her 2021 US Open triumph as an 18-year-old qualifier. Her impressive win followed 22-year-old qualifier Kartal’s career-defining victory over France’s Clara Burel, winning 6-3 5-7 6-3 to become the first home player to reach this year’s Wimbledon third round.
Raducanu’s dominant win over the 33rd-ranked Mertens highlighted her clean ball-striking, a significant improvement from her first-round performance against Mexican lucky loser Renata Zarazua. Despite a shaky start, Raducanu quickly asserted her authority, overpowering Mertens from the baseline and serving strongly.
Ranked 135th in the world, Raducanu’s decision to skip the French Open for better Wimbledon preparation proved wise. After notable performances in Nottingham and Eastbourne, she dismantled Mertens to the delight of the home crowd on Court One. Reflecting on her form, Raducanu said, “I played really good tennis and I knew all the hard yards would lead to something and I am just happy I can reap some of the rewards here in Wimbledon.”
Raducanu will face Greek ninth seed Maria Sakkari, whom she famously defeated to reach the US Open final nearly three years ago, in the last 32 on Friday.
Kartal continued her dream run, becoming the second British woman to reach the third round as a qualifier in the Open era. Despite a serious health scare earlier this year, the Brighton-born player powered through the first set against Burel and, despite a fightback from the Frenchwoman, composed herself to secure the final set.
“Today is a really special day for me,” Kartal said. “Monday was a high but I’ve topped that today.” She will now face US Open champion Coco Gauff, who comfortably defeated Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni.
Dan Evans Criticizes Playing Conditions
In contrast, Britain’s Dan Evans expressed frustration after losing to Chilean 24th seed Alejandro Tabilo. The 34-year-old, who feared missing Wimbledon due to a knee injury, was beaten 6-2 7-5 6-3 after his first-round match resumed on Wednesday.
Evans criticized the decision to continue his match late on Tuesday, deeming the court conditions unsafe. “My first concern is to be safe after what happened. Obviously, that grass court wasn’t safe where I slipped I don’t think,” he said. “The powers that be in the fancy jackets didn’t agree with me and we carried on.”
