At the press conference following her quarterfinal win over Maja Chwalińska at the Transylvania Open, Emma Raducanu appeared very satisfied — both with her level of play and with reaching the semifinals of an important tournament.
“I’m really happy to be in the semifinals. It’s been a few months since I last reached one, so to be back in this position means a lot — the hard work over the past weeks is being rewarded,” Emma said at the press conference.
She admitted she hasn’t seen much of her semifinal opponent, Oleksandra Oliynykova, in action. “But I know she plays well. She’s beaten some strong opponents and had a very high-quality match against Madison Keys at the Australian Open. I’ll need to be very focused and in my best shape tomorrow. I don’t know how the match will unfold, but it’s clear we’ll both give our best. She’s a fighter, and I’m also pleased with how I’ve handled things throughout the week.”
Asked specifically about her upcoming semifinal against Oliynykova, Emma added:
“I’m ready to give everything tomorrow. I really enjoy the support of the crowd, which has helped me get this far. I love playing here, I love the atmosphere. It’s not easy — tennis is a sport that requires a lot of strength. Most players lose every week, then they have to put those losses behind them and focus on another tough week. And the scoring system can mean you’re just five points away from winning and still end up losing. There’s no way around it — you have to win the last point. That’s why I think tennis is such a tough sport, and I believe all my peers would agree. Mentally, it’s one of the hardest sports out there, but the rewards are just as big — and so is the glory.”
When prompted with the idea of a potential final against Sorana Cîrstea — the dream scenario for the BT Arena crowd — Emma acknowledged it would be special, but emphasized there is still work to be done:
“A final against Sorana Cîrstea would be wonderful, but we both have a tough match to get there first.”
