Raducanu reaches first final since US Open triumph

BBC Online :

Emma Raducanu dug deep to secure a gritty win over Oleksandra Oliynykova and reach her first final since her 2021 US Open triumph.
Aged just 18, Raducanu stunned the sporting world when she enjoyed a fairytale run to become the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam with victory in New York.
Her attempts to build on that historic success have been disrupted by countless injuries and several coaching changes, with Raducanu struggling to find consistent form on the WTA Tour.
She had lost her past three semi-finals on the WTA Tour, meaning the US Open remains her sole senior trophy.
But the British number one held her nerve on Friday to claim a 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 win after almost three hours on court against Ukraine’s Oliynykova to reach the final of the Transylvania Open. Fellow Briton Katie Boulter also made a breakthrough at the Ostrava Open, beating American Katie Volynets to make her first final in over 15 months.
It means Raducanu and Boulter will become the first two British women to play Tour-level finals on the same day.
Raducanu suffered a listless second-round exit at January’s Australian Open and subsequently split with coach Francisco Roig.
However, she has shown real grit throughout her run in Romania to reach the final.
“I’m so proud of how I competed, how I came back in the third set and how I managed the match,” Raducanu said.
“I don’t think I could have done it without everyone’s support here so thank you so much.”
Raducanu’s father, Ion, is from Bucharest and the exhausted but thrilled player briefly addressed the crowd in Romanian after her victory.
Only home hope Sorana Cirstea now stands between Raducanu and her first piece of silverware in five years.
The 23-year-old failed to serve out the opening set at the first time of asking, allowing Oliynykova to break back before winning the next two games – wrapping it up after a gruelling hour and 15 minutes.
But the top seed’s momentum faltered further in the second set and she was broken three times as Oliynykova forced a decider, where Raducanu was forced to fight back from a break down.
And after missing her first two match points at 5-3, the Briton saved two break-back points and served out the win at the third time of asking. The victory snapped a six-match losing streak in deciding sets for Raducanu, while it was her first three-set win since she beat Ann Li in the first round of Eastbourne in June.