Emma Raducanu claims the biggest scalp of her career as she dumps world No 5 Jessica Pegula out of Eastbourne in her first EVER victory over a top 10 player
- Raducanu beat Pegula in three sets in Eastbourne in a huge win on Wednesday
- Victory marked the first time she has beaten a top 10 player in her career
- The 21-year-old is one of three British women in the last eight of the tournament
Emma Raducanu claimed the biggest scalp of her career by taking out world No 5 Jessica Pegula in what she called 'one of my most meaningful wins'.
The 21-year-old saved a match point in the second set — the first time she has done so and won — and served out from 0-40 down to seal a 4-6, 7-6, 7-5 win.
'I'm very proud of myself for sticking through. I was pretty much down the entire match,' said Raducanu after her first win against a top-10 player, which sets up a quarter-final against Russian world No 14 Daria Kasatkina on Thursday.
'I fought through some really difficult situations in the second set and first set. I was able to turn a corner and look forward — there is no turning back at all, second chances don't come. The regret of not fighting and not trying my absolute best would have really haunted me after the match.'
A visit to Eastbourne always feels like going back 50 years, and now we have three British women in the quarter-finals here for the first time since 1978. Anne Hobbs, Virginia Wade and Michelle Tyler were the high fliers then and this year it is Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and Raducanu. The first two beat former Grand Slam champions but Raducanu got the win of the day. What a performance this was against a player fresh off a title on the lawns of Berlin.
Emma Raducanu progressed to the quarter-finals in Eastbourne after victory over Jessica Pegula
The 21-year-old had never beaten anyone inside the top 10, and only one inside the top 20 since winning the US Open in 2021
Pegula's curious failure to make it past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam means she is not a household name, but don't let that fool you — she is pure class.
Raducanu was rocked initially by Pegula's power but from 4-1 down in the first set she was superb. She covered her face with her cap after her victory and, asked later why the win meant so much to her, Raducanu hinted at an off-court issue.
'I had tough circumstances to handle overnight, so I had to really pick myself up and crack on with it,' she said. 'I'd prefer to keep those (circumstances) private but it's a great message for anyone who thinks they can't get themselves going or fight through any more. Even when you think you're down, there is always a way. Will can get you through a lot of difficult situations.'
Earlier, Boulter beat 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 7-5 and Dart saw off 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-7, 6-0.
Pegula, 30, was the No2 seed in Eastbourne having just won the grass-court title in Berlin
Raducanu came through in three sets to defeat the American and become one of three British women in the last eight
Dart plays Leylah Fernandez, runner-up to Raducanu at the 2021 US Open, but she is a doubt to take the court after taking a tumble and hurting her knee. Boulter faces French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini. The Italian got through via withdrawal on Tuesday and has never won a tour-level match on this surface.
It was a tremendous day for British tennis: Billy Harris is through to the last eight in the men's event here and Paul Jubb made his first tour-level quarter-final in Majorca.
And over at Wimbledon we were back to the 1970s, too, with three women reaching the final round of qualifying for the first time since 1972. The most exciting of those women is still a girl — 15-year-old Hannah Klugman showing why she is rated as the best prospect in the country by beating Linda Fruhvirtova, who was in the top 50 last year. The other hopefuls are Sonay Kartal, 22, and Amarni Banks, 21.
With titles in the bank for Jack Draper and Boulter, things could hardly look rosier for the home guard heading into Wimbledon.
