Tennis

Emma Raducanu feels she has a 'long way to go' against top players after Amanda Anisimova thrashing at Indian Wells

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Emma Raducanu feels she has a 'long way to go' against top players after Amanda Anisimova thrashing at Indian Wells

Emma Raducanu feels she has "a long way to go" to compete with the world's best players after being overpowered during a 52-minute drubbing by Amanda Anisimova at Indian Wells.

The British No 1 and 2021 US Open champion won 21 points in the match compared to her opponent's 53 and hit only two winners as she succumbed 6-1 6-1 in the third round in California.

Raducanu lost serve in the opening game of the contest to two-time Grand Slam runner-up Anisimova and did not chalk up a game in the second set until she was 3-0 down.

The 23-year-old, who had breezed past Anastasia Zakharova 6-1 6-3 in her first match, is set to return to action at the Miami Open later this month, another WTA 1000 event.

She said after the loss to Anisimova: "When I'm playing someone who's at the top like that, I think they have an extra 10 miles an hour on their serve than me."

Raducanu continued: "If I'm not feeling it, that gap feels more evident in terms of weight of shot, in terms of power.

"You just feel a little bit behind and your punches aren't landing as much as theirs are.

"I need to be aggressive when playing those players, but I think there's still a long way to go to be doing that. I need to use my strengths and probably mix it up a bit more."

Raducanu, who has linked up with Mark Petchey on a temporary basis following a split from coach Fransico Roig in January, added to Your Site: "It was difficult to come close to putting my stamp on the match.

"That goes with playing Amanda - she is that sort of opponent who likes to put her stamp on it first.

"I have to take some positives. The first match here was better than a lot of matches I have been playing recently. I had a great first match, felt in a really good place with my game.

"But a match like that [against Anisimova] is never easy to take. I couldn't really get into the rally. The ball felt very quick to do anything off of and to try and survive in the point was very difficult."

On Petchey, Raducanu said: "Mark helped me out a lot this week and it was nice to be on court with him again.

"But he will be commentating for Tennis Channel this week, probably until the end, so I don't know how much time I will get with him before Miami."

Watch the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells live on Your Site until March 15. .

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