Emma Raducanu rushes to win in straight sets over Victoria Azarenka

Emma Raducanu celebrates her second big win of the tournament facing Victoria Azarenka at the Western & Southern Open.

Emma Raducanu backed up her dominance at the Western & Southern Open to do it again Wednesday. Facing Victoria Azarenka was a near clean task for the British number one as she took down the two-time champion of the tournament 6-0, 6-4 on center court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. It took her 62 minutes to make it into the third round, keeping her head up and focusing on the offense.

The two met for the first time in an inevitable second-round faceoff in Ohio. Though Azarenka still had to fight through Kaia Kanepi in three sets, she cleared the way to face the Brit, who slayed the queen of tennis out of Cincinnati. It was a necessary win for the Brit, who had not put up a lot of wins against high-ranked players this season. The tenth seed’s youth and speed left a chance for her to set the pace against another former world number one and dig deeper into the WTA 1000 event.

Earning a break from Azarenka was a positive start, drawing the errors from her opponent to get into her service. Though she fell behind on it in the second, Raducanu forced deuce and denied further breakpoints to consolidate a lead. The British teen racked up the double break, with help from Azarenka’s second double fault. Keeping her service short was still a task for the tenth seed, who was forced to deuce but prevented Azarenka from producing a breakpoint chance.

Raducanu let her know that, taking charge on the returns to earn the break to love and a 5-0 stand. In the sixth, the Brit scored consecutive points for three attempts at the set. Azarenka saved one with a return winner and earned the other on a long return from Raducanu. With one to go, the 19-year-old scored a sliced ace to take the first in 27 minutes. Unforced errors number 16 for Azarenka left her producing winners on the low end and Raducanu keeping up the pressure.

At the start of the second, the 19-year-old broke through her opponent’s gameplay, forcing deuce and  clinching the only AD point played. She backed up her response with a resounding serve to love in the second, notching her eighth win in a row. The 33-year-old’s performance was near the floor as her serve in the third was out of it. She handed Raducanu the break to love, indicating that she didn’t have it ready on the day.

Azarenka last scored a point in the first game, and after the Brit notched her ninth straight, she scored one. It was not a bright point as the tenth seed charged straight to a 4-0 run on serve. To avoid being double bageled, the 33-year-old dug deep to defend her side of the court and hold serve against the teen in the fifth. Raducanu notched herself one game from the match, but Azarenka’s win in her previous serve brought together another.

It was 5-2 and the chance for the Brit to close it out was under threat from the 33-year-old, who dictated the eighth game. Raducanu forced deuce, saving two breakpoints before getting her first match point on a long return from Azarenka. The attempt from the 19-year-old went long on a return shot, but after gaining a second chance on a smashing return, she got it done and dusted. Raducanu completed another solid victory when the return from Azarenka landed long of the baseline.