Raducanu Reaches Semi-finals At Washington Open

Britain's Emma Raducanu recovered from 5-2 down successful nan 2nd group to hit Maria Sakkari successful consecutive sets astatine nan Washington Open and scope her first semi-final of 2025.

The 22-year-old, who upset seventh seed Marta Kostyuk successful nan first information and overcame four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka connected Thursday, hit her Greek force 6-4 7-5.

Raducanu will look either Anna Kalinskaya aliases 4th seed Clara Tauson successful nan past 4 arsenic she bids to scope her first WTA last since winning nan US Open successful 2021.

She told Sky Sports: "I've been doing a batch of bully work. Little by small arsenic you get results, you build confidence.

"But nan magnitude of activity I'm doing down nan scenes, to person that banked, you cognize you've done it. It takes a small spot of unit disconnected nan results."

In basking conditions successful Washington DC, some Raducanu and Sakkari struggled to clasp their serves successful nan opening set, pinch nan Briton converting 3 of her six break points and her force 2 from four.

However, astatine 4-4, Raducanu struck nan decisive blow, breaking Sakkari's service for nan 3rd clip earlier converting a 2nd group point.

The 29-year-old Sakkari, runner-up astatine nan tourney successful 2023, had an opportunity to return nan lucifer into a decider aft breaking service successful nan sixth crippled of nan 2nd group and redeeming 2 break points for a 5-2 lead.

However, Raducanu roared backmost to triumph 5 consecutive games, including converting 2 of her 5 break points, to return nan 2nd group 7-5.

She received attraction from a physio during nan 2nd group and later said she felt a "bit wobbly" owed to nan heat.

"It was sadistic today," added Raducanu. "It was a agelong match, nan first group was complete an hour. You conscionable person to bask suffering and time off it each retired location connected nan court.

"Maria played an unthinkable lucifer and nan conditions really suit her pinch nan liveliness of her game.

"I request to hole [for nan doubles] and get retired of nan heat. I felt a spot wobbly astatine nan backmost extremity of nan 2nd set."

In nan men's doubles, Britain's Neal Skupski and Australian partner John-Patrick Smith reached nan semi-finals aft coming backmost from a group down to upset 4th seeds Michael Venus and Yuki Bhambri 3-6 6-4 10-7.