Emma Raducanu produced a calm, consistent performance to reach the second round of the Miami Open for the first time with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against the Japanese wildcard Sayaka Ishii, setting up a meeting with Emma Navarro, the eighth seed.
“I was just so focused on every point and trying to compete,” Raducanu said. “That was my main objective today, just trying my best every point and bringing some energy, bringing some competitiveness. I think that’s maybe been missing in the past couple of months. I’m really proud of that. It’s just nice to win in two sets and less than two and a half hours.”
Alongside Raducanu’s win came the revelation that she has parted ways with Vladimir Platenik just two weeks into their coaching trial. Raducanu has had to search for a new coach since Nick Cavaday departed her team after the Australian Open due to health issues. She had been on a trial run with Platenik since he arrived at Indian Wells, where he watched her first-round defeat against Moyuka Uchijima.
The pair had been working together since that defeat, meaning his absence from her player box on Wednesday came as a surprise. Instead, Raducanu was supported by LTA coach Colin Beecher, and Jane O’Donoghue, a former player and family friend who has helped her out from time to time over the past three and a half years, alongside her fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura. After the match, a member of Raducanu’s team confirmed they had opted to part ways.
Although their agreement was only a trial, Platenik had indicated in an interview in his home country with the Slovak newspaper Dennik N that they had planned to trial their partnership until the French Open. Instead, Raducanu will continue her search for a coach.
On the court, Raducanu faced a kind opening-round draw against Ishii, a former top-five junior player still attempting to transition to the professional circuit. Ishii, who trains at the IMG Academy and received a wildcard in Miami, showed early glimpses of her potential, particularly her weighty forehand, lasering flashy winners as she retrieved a break and leveled Raducanu at 2-2.
However, that purple patch did not last long, and her aggressive approach led to a stream of unforced errors. To her credit, Raducanu laid down a steady performance that demonstrated the gulf in quality between the players. All wins carry significance, particularly for Raducanu, who has endured one of the toughest stretches of her career in recent weeks, losing five of her last six matches.
Factors contributing to her form include her high-profile encounters with a stalker who followed her from tournament to tournament in Asia throughout February. While this ordeal hampered her preparations for Indian Wells, she has had two weeks to train, regain her routines, and look ahead.
With a solid display and a much-needed win under her belt, the 22-year-old British star will gain further insight into her level on Friday as she faces top player Navarro.
In contrast, later on Wednesday, the British No 1 Katie Boulter continued to struggle on her return from a foot injury, losing 6-4, 6-2 against the talented American Peyton Stearns.
