In a masterful display of tennis prowess, Emma Raducanu has advanced to her inaugural Miami Open quarter-final. She achieved this feat by delivering a swift straight-sets defeat to her opponent, Amanda Anisimova. This marks the first time since the 2021 US Open that Raducanu has secured four consecutive victories in one tournament.
Raducanu, 22, swiftly seized the lead in the first set and proceeded to secure her victory with an impressive 6-1, 6-3 scoreline. Her performance was a testament to her maturity, as she navigated both personal and professional challenges on her journey to this point in 2025. Although she may be considered an underdog going into the quarter-finals, she brings the British flag to the WTA 1000 event’s quarter-final stage, a sight long-awaited by fans.
The British tennis sensation set the tone for the match right from the beginning. She claimed the first four points, including two service breaks. She continued to showcase her serving prowess, a skill she had demonstrated in her third-round meeting with McCartney Kessler. Against Anisimova, she maintained this dominance, bagging all eight of her initial service points.
Meanwhile, Anisimova, visibly frustrated, managed to offer some resistance on her serve, finally scoring in the fifth game to avoid a third consecutive self-inflicted loss. However, Raducanu’s impressive serving kept her in the lead, and she swiftly wrapped up the first set, leaving the commentators and spectators in awe.
Sky Sports pundit Annabel Croft was among those spellbound by Raducanu’s performance, commenting on Anisimova’s rattled state and apparent humiliation on the court.
Anisimova had previously shown images of a finger injury on social media leading up to the last-16 match. She called for a medical timeout between the first and second sets, which seemed to provide some temporary relief. She managed to push Raducanu in the first game against her serve and even took the second game, surviving a break point in the process.
However, Raducanu quickly regained control, continuing her dominant performance on her serve and pressuring Anisimova when it was her turn to serve. Her outstanding movement on the court hinted at the successful impact of her training with fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura.
Raducanu’s serve eventually faltered in the fifth game of the second set, giving Anisimova a glimmer of hope. But Raducanu, playing with a renewed sense of purpose, swiftly quashed any hopes of a comeback by breaking back immediately. In just over an hour, Raducanu had secured her victory, marking a remarkably easy afternoon for the British tennis star.
The match concluded fittingly with Raducanu’s serve and an unforced error from Anisimova. This victory makes Raducanu the first British player in a decade to win a WTA Tour 1000 last-16 match at a singles event. She will face either Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals, extending her impressive run in the tournament.
