Emma Raducanu has been capable of greatness in her tennis career. She might have won the 2021 US Open without playing a player ranked in the top 10, but she defeated everyone she needed to. The first part isn't her fault.
Now, after needing to win two matches on Saturday, Raducanu is into the final of the HSBC Championships, where she will play Donna Vekic on Sunday. After taking out Kamilla Rakhimova earlier in the day in two sets, the Brit looked like a top-5 performer against the sixth-seeded Iva Jovic.
Raducanu's first-set serve overpowered the normally crisp-hitting American. The Brit kept hitting her returns deep, pushing Jovic from side to side and constantly on defense. Jovic can also strike the ball with force, but Raducanu proved that if she is healthy and in top form, she is a real threat to make a deep run in any tournament.
Emma Raducanu into 2026 HSBC Championships final after defeating Iva Jovic
In the second set, Raducanu actually ticked up with her serve, and she needed to. Jovic had also raised her level. In the one game that the Brit lost through the first five games, Jovic broke her at love. Not because the Brit was suddenly struggling, but a testament to how well the American could play.
However, more praise should go to Raducanu for her overall play. She was challenged several times in her service games in the second set, but kept battling through. In previous years, Raducanu might have wilted under such pressure, but under clear London skies, she displayed the form that helped her win her Grand Slam nearly five years ago.
Raducanu also never let up. Serving at 2-5 and trying likely in vain to stay in the match, Jovic kept blasting shots from both wings that Raducanu kept finding a way to hit back with bombast. The Brit was able to get another break, take the set 6-2 to win the match impressively. Through the semifinals, Raducanu, who will move back inside the top 30 if she wins the tournament, hasn't dropped a set.
Should Emma Raducanu win the second title of her career by defeating Donna Vekic at the HSBC Championships, that could give her the confidence she needs to be a dangerous opponent at Wimbledon. She clearly has the skill set to play extremely well on grass courts. The Brit and Croatian have never played one another before.
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