WIMBLEDON — The Centre Court docket crowd wanted that.
A day after the emotional maelstrom of Andy Murray saying goodbye to his religious dwelling for the final 20 years, right here was Emma Raducanu, gliding her well beyond Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3, and into the fourth spherical of Wimbledon.
The King is lifeless, lengthy dwell the Queen.
Besides not fairly — as a result of in a welcome addition to this sub-plot, Britain’s two most up-to-date Grand Slam champions hyperlink up on Saturday evening for the blended doubles.
Raducanu remains to be simply 21; she is determining her place in tennis after the frustration of accidents and the all-at-once success of successful a Grand Slam title at 18. She doesn’t want the extra strain of being anointed as Murray’s successor, particularly in the case of carrying the burden of a nation’s hopes.
On nights like this, Raducanu seems to put on that strain flippantly. She dismissed Sakkari, the world No 9, in the identical approach she breezily moved by way of the draw to win that U.S. Open three years in the past. Sakkari was a sufferer of hers in New York too, that point within the semifinal, and simple straight-sets wins are in reality Raducanu’s calling card at Grand Slams.
She pulled off 10 in a row (together with three in qualifying) to assert the U.S. Open title, and of the 30 Grand Slam matches she has performed in her profession, 19 have resulted in two-set victories. At this yr’s Wimbledon she’s once more reeled off three consecutive straight-sets wins — simply as she did at Wimbledon 2021 — culminating, for now, in Friday’s 6-2, 6-3 success.
In that approach she couldn’t be extra completely different from Murray, who at instances appeared to have a magnetic drive drawing him in the direction of the dramatic. Sakkari was put away in 91 minutes on Friday evening; after one-and-a-half hours of the Scot, most followers would count on to be settling in for a protracted one.
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Each come alive on the massive stage. They’re gamers who develop on Centre Court docket and really feel at dwelling there. “I like enjoying on the massive courts,” Raducanu mentioned after beating Sakkari.
“For me, I thrive on such events, on huge phases. It’s one thing that I play tennis for. I simply love the sensation of it, competing, particularly right here in entrance of a house crowd. It’s actually superb.”
As for the strain of enjoying in entrance of a house crowd, Raducanu echoed what Murray mentioned after shedding the 2012 last to Roger Federer. “All people at all times talks in regards to the strain of enjoying at Wimbledon, how powerful it’s,” Murray mentioned. “But it surely’s not. The individuals watching… They make it a lot simpler to play.”
And right here was Raducanu on Friday: “I feel on the strain facet, you may flip it. I’ve a packed Centre Court docket who’re all rooting for me to win. I simply really feel comfortable that that many individuals are behind me.”
Raducanu’s aura and confidence are again, and this week she has unquestionably re-established herself because the brightest factor in British tennis. Earlier than these Championships, she had not been past the last-16 of a serious since that U.S. Open win. When it got here to dwelling hopes for this event, Tim Henman predicted, justifiably, that Britain’s No 1 and the No 32 seed right here Katie Boulter would go additional than Raducanu. Boulter beat Raducanu in Nottingham final month, however she was knocked out within the Wimbledon second spherical by fellow Brit Harriet Dart on Thursday.
Her re-emergence, notably on Centre Court docket and within the context of Murray’s farewell to SW19, will also be set towards the pre-tournament expectations for Jack Draper, and what they are saying in regards to the expectations for British tennis gamers. As Britain’s new males’s No 1, Draper is ranked at No 28 to Raducanu’s admittedly injury-affected No 135, and was coming in to the All England Membership off the again of a title in Stuttgart, in addition to a win over the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s Membership.
Like Raducanu, Draper was given the prospect this week to point out his credentials as Murray’s successor with a prime-time slot on one of many present courts. However on Thursday late afternoon and into the night on Court docket 1, he misplaced in straight units to the person he had simply deposed because the British No 1.
That’s Cameron Norrie — the identical Cameron Norrie who reached the semifinals right here two years in the past and is a former top-10 participant, with 5 ATP titles together with a coveted Masters 1000 at Indian Wells. Regardless of his success, which places him forward of Kei Nishikori, Gael Monfils, and Milos Raonic, and stage with the likes of Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer when it comes to successful a event one rung beneath a Grand Slam title, he’s by no means been capable of obtain a lot cut-through with the broader British public. At 28, he most likely by no means will, even when he beats Alexander Zverev on Centre Court docket on Saturday.
Boulter’s conqueror Dart can be in motion on Saturday, up towards Wang Xinyu, however ranked solely simply contained in the world’s high 100 she is a approach off being a Grand Slam contender.
Issues can change in a short time, however for the second it appears like with Murray on the best way out, Raducanu will essentially inherit Murray’s mantle. Not as a result of she wants the strain, or must be anticipated to dwell as much as having gained a Grand Slam title, however as a result of among the many different contenders, she has the sport and the proof of execution on the larger phases to do it — whether or not now, or extra realistically, as she develops as a participant, and sheds the all-or-nothing, boom-or-bust cycles which have outlined her profession to this point.
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In opposition to Sakkari, the 21-year-old demonstrated her capability to play beneath strain — saving all seven of the break factors she confronted, and reserving two of her three aces for these moments. She additionally demonstrated her potential to exert that strain on opponents at key instances. She was all around the Sakkari serve, drawing a double fault on the penultimate level of the match after a flurry of massive returns. Having had no top-10 wins till final week, when she beat American world No 5 Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne, she immediately has two.
Raducanu’s reward is a fourth-round match towards the qualifier and world No 123 Lulu Solar, which undoubtedly presents an enormous alternative. As does the truth that she will be able to’t face a seeded participant till the semifinal.
However earlier than that comes Saturday evening’s blended doubles with Murray, as the 2 star points of interest of British tennis be part of forces. On Wednesday, Raducanu mentioned, “I feel Wimbledon is Andy Murray and Andy Murray is Wimbledon.”
After their match collectively this night, that could possibly be it for Murray the participant at Wimbledon.
Over to you, Emma?
(Prime photograph: Glyn Kirk / AFP through Getty Photographs)