Emma Raducanu beaten by Iga Swiatek but Briton on upward trajectory

A resurgent Emma Raducanu played some of her best tennis in recent memory but fell short in a compelling quarter-final battle against world No 1 Iga Swiatek at the Stuttgart Open.

Raducanu has a track record of rising to the occasion against tougher opponents and against the dominant Pole – who is now on a 10-match-winning streak in this event – it was no different.

While her two wins in Stuttgart this week will do wonders for her confidence as she continues her comeback following triple surgeries on her ankle and wrists, there was a dizzying sense of déjà vu as her wait for a win against a top-10 player continued.

Granted, if there were 302 places between these two grand slam tournament champions in the rankings, it was hardly telling in the 7-6, 6-3 encounter which lasted a little over two hours. By Swiatek’s efficient standards, this was a marathon match. For Raducanu, it was a productive fact-finding mission against the world’s best.

Swiatek’s shot-making might have been the more aggressive of the pair but Raducanu’s was more calculated and controlled in an arm-wrestle of a first set. Throughout, Swiatek’s play was peppered with uncharacteristic errors – she even picked up a time violation for taking too long to change her shoes before a ball had even been hit – and needed a tie-break to eventually edge past a fired-up Raducanu, who broke the Pole at the first time of asking but could not capitalise on her own serve.

Not so long ago Raducanu was contemplating the possibility of dropping down a level to the second-tier International Tennis Federation circuit in her quest to string some much-needed momentum together. What a difference a couple of months makes. Here she was hardly looking out of place against the best player in the world and four-time major tournament champion who is hoping to become only the second woman to claim a third straight win in this event which Maria Sharapova dominated between 2012 and 2014.

Raducanu has unlocked more power in her serve – which has been a particular focus with her coach Nick Cavaday – and on this evidence there is even more to unleash as she went toe-to-toe with Swiatek in the opening stages, with 65 per cent of her first serves on the money.

She conjured up some spectacular returns – at 5-4 down she floated a fierce forehand winner en route to a gutsy hold of serve – but fell short in the big moments, including in the tie-break, where she was ousted 7-2 after failing to put the Pole under pressure. Swiatek cut a relieved figure as she exited the court for a quick bathroom break.

She returned with a fresh verve in her play, capitalising on the momentum shift and broke Raducanu at the start of the second set. Knocking the ball about with fine point construction, she began wiping out the uncharacteristic errors that had stalled her usually fluid play earlier on. Raducanu might have been down, but she was far out.

Even an unfortunate slip on the clay as she tried to retrieve a low Swiatek winner behind the baseline could not dampen her fighting spirit. She emerged unscathed from the skid but her white outfit, reddened with clay, did not. Raducanu simply dusted herself down and got on with the job at hand. It was only when a dead net cord in Swiatek’s favour followed did the match start to slip away from her.

And yet, the Briton continued to show flashes of the player who enjoyed her fairytale in New York in 2021, epitomised by the sublime drop shot that wrong-footed the Pole on her way to a crucial hold at 2-1 down.

In a measure of her industriousness, her defensive sets were even more impressive as Swiatek pummelled her with relentless hitting, sniffing another double break that Raducanu would eventually yield at the death.

Emma Raducanu vs Iga Swiatek, As it happened...

07:03 PM BST

Raducanu’s world ranking

Raducanu is poised to jump up to around 221 in the world on the back of her results in Stuttgart.

A few more wins in Madrid and Rome and she could be approaching the top 100 ahead of the French Open.

06:49 PM BST

Raducanu’s record vs top 10 opponents

That’s now seven matches without a win and a set for Raducanu against top-10 opponents.

Today was arguably the closest she has come but Swiatek was ultimately too strong in the first set tiebreak.

06:42 PM BST

Social media reaction

06:34 PM BST

WATCH: The winning moment for Swiatek

06:27 PM BST

Raducanu 6-7, 3-6 Swiatek*

Raducanu double fault, 15-15. Raducanu slices a defensive forehand long, two match points for Swiatek.

GAME SET MATCH SWIATEK. Raducanu forehand long and it’s all over for the Briton.

06:23 PM BST

Raducanu* 6-7, 3-5 Swiatek

Double fault by Swiatek to open the game. But she responds with a huge forehand into the corner that’s too much for Raducanu.

Swiatek backhand long. A few errors starting to creep in. Is this the opening for Raducanu?

Oh no. She goes for a rare dropshot. Gutsy play but she gets it wrong and the ball lands in the tramlines, 30-30.

Swiatek keeps Raducanu in the game when she sprays a forehand long, deuce. Thumbs up from Raducanu towards Swiateak after the Pole whips a top sping forehand into the corner to hold serve.

06:17 PM BST

Raducanu 6-7, 3-4 Swiatek*

Staggering defending from Raducanu to make Swiatek keep hitting an extra ball. Swiatek smashes a forehand at the net but Raducanu anticipates it and flicks a backhand down the line to hold serve again.

Nice smile from Raducanu after that and she deserves the warm applause she is receiving.

06:12 PM BST

Raducanu* 6-7, 2-4 Swiatek

Another routine hold for Swiatek. Raducanu hasn’t been able to create anything of note on the Pole’s serve in this set.

06:06 PM BST

Raducanu 6-7, 2-3 Swiatek*

Swiatek applying pressure on the Raducanu serve once again as she moves to 15-30. Raducanu dumps a backhand into the net, two break points.

Raducanu saves the first when Swiatek’s forehand sails long. One more to go...

Saved by Raducanu! Raducanu comes under a barrage from Swiatek, who then goes for too much with a backhand and the ball goes long.

More heavy hitting by Swiatek to bring up another break point. Blistering cross-court forehand from Raducanu is too hot for Swiatek, back to deuce.

Swiatek forehand long and Raducanu holds to stay in touch. Big credit to Raducanu for staying with the world No 1 here.

05:59 PM BST

Raducanu* 6-7, 1-3 Swiatek

Quickfire hold to love for Swiatek as she holds to love again. Very solid serving by the Pole.

05:55 PM BST

Raducanu 6-7, 1-2 Swiatek*

Raducanu is down. Got clay all over her back. She lost her footing, no ankle twist. Just misjudged her slide towards the ball I think.

Raducanu backhand down the line is called out. The umpire comes down, looks at the mark and says it was in. Point is replayed but Swiatek gets a huge slice of luck as her forehand hits the net cord and the ball drops just inside Raducanu’s side of the court, 15-30.

Huge point coming up.

Raducanu finds a wide first serve and finishes the point with a forehand down the line. Wonderful point construction by Swiatek again, pulling Raducanu left then right and finishing with a backhand winner for a break point.

Raducanu finds her first serve when she needs it most and Swiatek’s return is wide. Back to deuce.

Swiatek is all over Raducanu’s serve, forcing a short ball and finishing with a forehand winner. Great response on break point by Raducanu as she drills a forehand down the line for a winner.

And Raducanu secures a much needed hold when Swiatek’s backhand goes wide.

05:45 PM BST

Raducanu* 6-7, 0-2 Swiatek

Raducanu starting to look a little weary but in a sign of intent, she drills a cross-court backhand return for a winner.

Swiatek forehand winner down the line, 30-15. Raducanu barely moved. Frustration for Raducanu as she miscues a forehand wide, 40-30.

Raducanu return into the net and Swiatek backs up the break to take a commanding lead.

05:41 PM BST

Second set: Raducanu 6-7, 0-1 Swiatek*

Swiatek continues where she left off in the first set and is taking the game to Raducanu. She races to 0-40 and three break points.

Slow second serve by Raducanu and it is duly punished as Swiatek guides a backhand return winner down the line.

Uphill task for the Briton now.

Swiatek breaks.

05:36 PM BST

Social media reaction

05:34 PM BST

Raducanu 6-7 Swiatek - TIEBREAK

For the umpteenth time, Raducanu wrong foots Swiatek with a cross court forehand winner, 2-5. Too good from Swiatek as she brings up four set points with a forehand winner, 2-6. 

Raducanu forehand long and after 70 minutes the opening set belongs to Swiatek, 2-7. 

05:31 PM BST

Raducanu 6-6 Swiatek - TIEBREAK

Raducanu backhand into the net, 0-1. Attack mode from Swiatek and she finishes with a drive forehand winner, 0-2. Swiatek backhand winner down the line, Raducanu barely moved, 0-3.

Swiatek forehand winner, 0-4. First error of the tiebreak from Swiatek as she puts a cross-court backhand into the tramlines, 1-4. Raducanu forehand just long, 1-5. 

05:26 PM BST

Raducanu 6-6 Swiatek*

Pressure? What pressure? Raducanu moves to 40-0 with a lovely angled cross court winner and finishes off her first love hold with a good first serve followed by a backhand winner down the line.

Tiebreak time folks!

05:23 PM BST

Raducanu* 5-6 Swiatek

Emphatic finish by Swiatek as she holds to 15 with a forehand winner and secures herself at least a tiebreak.

Pressure back on Raducanu.

05:19 PM BST

Raducanu 5-5 Swiatek*

Brilliant forehand return by Swiatek is too hot for Raducanu. Early warning for Raducanu. Another excellent forehand return by Swiatek, she gets a short reply and finishes the rally with a forehand winner. Problems for Raducanu now.

Raducanu gets back on track when Swiatek’s cross court forehand lands in the tramlines. Great second serve by Raducanu and Swiatek’s return is wide. The Pole disagrees that the serve was in but the umpire confirms the call.

Huge forehand winner down the line by Raducanu, 40-30. And a huge roar from Raducanu as she levels up the set with a backhand winner.

05:15 PM BST

Raducanu* 4-5 Swiatek

Another love hold for Swiatek. Raducanu serving to stay in the first set. Big service game coming up for the Briton.

05:10 PM BST

Raducanu 4-4 Swiatek*

Whatever happens for Raducanu in this match, it is great to see her being confident enough to go toe-to-toe with Swiatek. She hasn’t taken a backward step and is striking the ball ball beautifully.

Her coach Nick Cavaday will be delighted with what he’s seen so far. Raducanu holds to 15. On we go!

05:05 PM BST

Raducanu* 3-4 Swiatek

First love hold of the match goes to Swiatek as she comes through this service game comfortably. Approaching the business end of the set down.

05:03 PM BST

Raducanu 3-3 Swiatek*

First ace of the match for Raducanu as she slices a serve down the T for a winner, 30-0. Relentless ball striking from Swiatek and she finishes the point with a backhand winner down the line, 30-15.

Swiatek then rushes Raducanu into a backhand error after a deep return. Raducanu backhand long and it’s break point Swiatek. This game has turned very quickly.

Raducanu goes for it with a second serve. It is called out. Raducanu doesn’t think so. The umpire comes down, looks at the mark and says the ball was in. Deuce. Gutsy play by Raducanu.

A gift for Raducanu as Swiatek inexplicably goes for too much with a drive forehand and the ball goes long. That would have given her a break point. Instead, it’s a game point for Raducanu and she survives this service game when Swiatek’s forehand drops into the tramlines.

04:55 PM BST

Raducanu* 2-3 Swiatek

Raducanu is doing really well to take time away from Swiatek and keep her on the move. You can see her growing in confidence and learning on the surface all the time.

But Swiatek is a clay court expert and she forces Raducanu back and holds to 30.

04:51 PM BST

Raducanu 2-2 Swiatek*

Important for Raducanu to hold serve and get back on track. And she does that with a service hold to 30 when Swiatek puts a backhand long.

First four games have taken 27 minutes. If this level continues, we could be in for a long one.

04:45 PM BST

Raducanu* 1-2 Swiatek

Blistering cross court forehand winner by Raducanu, 15-30. She hit that so cleanly. When her forehand is working, Raducanu is very difficult to play against.

Good scrambling by Swiateak and Raducanu hits a forehand long, 40-30. Raducanu tries to be aggressive on the Swiatek second serve but nets a forehand return.

04:42 PM BST

Raducanu 1-1 Swiatek*

Swiatek gets a look at a short ball by Raducanu but whips her forehand long, 30-15. Opportunity missed there for the world No 1 to apply some pressure.

But the Pole responds with a deep return and finishes the point with a backhand winner down the line, 30-30. Swiatek is finding her rhythm now and earns a break point when Raducanu goes long with a defensive forehand.

Break point saved by Raducanu when Swiatek nets a backhand, deuce. Raducanu needs to get more first serves in play to give herself the cheap points she needs.

Swiatek threads a forehand down the line for a winner and another break point. Good defence by Raducanu to withstand the big hitting from Swiatek and the No 1 seed flicks a backhand wide, deuce.

Raducanu is being forced to battle to come through this opening service game. A hold could be huge for her belief. We go into a seventh duece after Raducanu hits a backhand wide.

Raducanu backhand into the net and Swiatek gets a third break point. Too good from Swiatek. Rally of the match so far. Both women going toe-to-toe but Swiatek gets the break with a forehand down the line winner. Raducanu will rue not taking her chances there.

Swiatek breaks.

04:28 PM BST

First set: Emma Raducanu* 1-0 Iga Swiatek (*denotes next server)

Interesting start to the match as Swiatek is handed a time violation by the umpire for taking too long to change her shoes. I haven’t seen that happen before.

Ominious start by Swiatek as she races to 40-0 but Raducanu gets her first point of the match after an excellent forehand down the line is too hot for Swiatek.

Back-to-back winners from Swiatek pulls it back to deuce. Break point Raducanu after an excellent forehand return is too much for Swiatek again.

Stunning start by Raducanu is complete as she wrong-foots Swiatek with a backhand down the line and the ball flies away for a winner.

Superb recovery from 40-0 down.

Raducanu breaks.

04:21 PM BST

Here we go!

The players are on court and going through their warm-up routine. Raducanu won the toss and opted to receive serve first.

SAP win probability has Swiatek at 85 per cent. Can Raducanu achieve what would be a major upset?

04:19 PM BST

How Raducanu was at the heart of Britain turning around BJK Cup hopes

By Simon Briggs

There was a real sense, as the British overturned the odds in Le Portel, that their togetherness had begotten their success rather than the other way around.

Raducanu, who has sometimes given the impression of aloofness, was at the heart of it all. After her first-round win over Caroline Garcia, she credited Fran Jones for handing out courtside guidance and encouraging her to step in on her second-serve returns.

Then, having brought the tie back to level pegging on the first evening, Raducanu sent a message to her downcast team-mate Katie Boulter. It had been a dismal day for Boulter, who won the first two games against Diane Parry and then lost the next 12 to go down by a 6-2, 6-0 scoreline. But she appreciated the encouragement, and would later say that Raducanu’s words had inspired her to her 7-5, 6-0 win over Clara Burel on Saturday afternoon.

As Raducanu explained after the tie, “I basically just told her: ‘Head up, tomorrow’s a new day, we’re 1-1, we’re not 2-0 down, it’s a fresh start. There’s no difference from starting how we started Friday. It’s all to play for today.’ And then I also said: ‘Look, if anyone’s going to bring it home, it’s going to be us today.’ I know Katie loves playing Fed Cup [the old name for this event, before its 2020 rebrand]. And yeah, it was a huge, huge help having her win that first tie.”

Read more here.

04:14 PM BST

Can Raducanu finally win a set against a top-10 opponent?

That is the task for the Briton today. In her six meetings with top-ten players, Raducanu is yet to win a set and two of those matches have come against Swiatek.

04:10 PM BST

How Raducanu reached the last eight

04:04 PM BST

Raducanu to face the best in the world

Hello and welcome to live coverage of a huge match for Emma Raducanu.

The Briton is in quarter-final action at the Stuttgart Open where she will play world number one Iga Swiatek. Raducanu comes into the match playing some of the best tennis since winning the US Open in 2021.

She won both her ties in the Billie Jean King Cup last weekend and come through two matches this week in Germany, beating Angelique Kerber and Linda Noskova.

But she faces a daunting task today in the shape of Swiatek, who is a three-time winner of the French Open. The two players met two years ago at the same stage in Stuttgart and Raducanu says she will come into it with no fear.

She said: “We played here two years ago in the quarters, I have come a long way in two years, and she has achieved a lot, I have nothing to lose, I can swing and enjoy it.

“Hopefully recover in time. I’m good.”

Raducanu has struggled for form and confidence up until the past week after an injury-hit 2023 but she insists she never doubted the good times would return.

“I am not too surprised because I have been working really hard on the training court and I knew it was just a matter of time,” she said.

“This isn’t my best I still have a long way to go. I am just really happy the rewards are starting to come on the match court.

“You know how it is when you are training day in, day out you feel like the results aren’t going your way. It is never that far away, that is something I am learning.

“Going through everything I have been through gives you a different appreciation, there is nothing like playing in front of fans and playing good tennis.”