Raducanu on her opponent change in the second round in Rome: "It's a completely different challenge"

Emma Raducanu has advanced to the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome. The British player confirmed her first-round victory against Maya Joint (7-5, 6-7, 6-3) by dominating lucky loser Jil Teichmann this Friday afternoon (6-2, 6-2).

The Swiss player replaced Ekaterina Alexandrova at the last minute, who withdrew due to a shoulder injury. After her win, the world No. 49 reflected on the hours leading up to the match.

"I was warming up to prepare for the match against Alexandrova. I was practicing with Mirra (Andreeva), and suddenly, I was told I’d be playing against Jil (Teichmann).

On top of that, she’s a lefty, so it’s a completely different challenge. I haven’t practiced with many left-handed players, and the last one I faced was Vondrousova in Abu Dhabi back in February.

I spent the first few games adjusting to how she hit the ball, but I’m really proud of how I fought. Jil is a really strong player, especially on this surface—I feel like this is where she’s at her best, it’s her favorite surface.

I’m happy I managed to pull through like that," said Raducanu, who will face Veronika Kudermetova, who defeated Amanda Anisimova in straight sets (7-6, 7-5), in the next round.