From 0-5 down to comeback glory: Emma Raducanu wins 11 straight games to survive early scare in Transylvania

Emma Raducanu continues to show her favourite status and came through a complicated duel against Slovenian Kaja Juvan, winning 13 of the last 14 games to secure victory 7-5, 6-1 at the Transylvania Open.

The former US Open champion recovered from a difficult start—when she found herself three breaks down and 0-5. Juvan had three opportunities to serve for the set but ultimately saw a large advantage slip away after a remarkable comeback from the Briton.

Things did not look good for Raducanu at the start in Cluj-Napoca. World No. 30 quickly found herself exposed to several break points, and within a few minutes Juvan took the advantage. The Slovenian, world No. 97, was effective on her first serve and seized the opportunities that Raducanu offered, especially when the Briton looked erratic.

Juvan converted three of six break chances—and in addition to a couple of good service games—managed to go up 5-0. It seemed as if the set would quickly progress to the second, but then Raducanu’s comeback began. The first break back seemed almost symbolic, but when she recovered the second break, hope returned for the former US Open champion.

Raducanu got to work, gaining momentum through a string of points, recovering the three breaks consecutively and holding her serve—bringing the score to 5-5. Juvan fell mentally, and Raducanu maintained the rhythm to take the final two games. After just over an hour, Raducanu secured the first set that had seemed lost, coming back from 0-5 to win 7-5 in 62 minutes.

Following the remarkable comeback in the first set, Raducanu started the second set confidently. She faced a break point in her first service game but quickly regained control, winning 15 consecutive points and moving ahead 4-0—with two consecutive breaks. Raducanu won a total of 11 games in a row before Juvan managed to take a game—this time breaking her opponent’s serve.

However, it was only a brief moment of resistance against the absolute dominance of the Briton. From the baseline, Raducanu stayed strong and performed better on key points, saving 2 of 3 break points while converting 3 of 4 chances her opponent gave her.

In the final minutes, there was little doubt as Raducanu, fully supported by the Romanian crowd, took the last two games consecutively to close out the triumph 7-5, 6-1 after one hour and 38 minutes.

From a match that was initially extremely negative for Raducanu, she managed to recover mentally and turn it around, winning 13 of the last 14 games played. The first seed of the tournament survives and advances to the quarter-finals, also ensuring a rise in the rankings up to No. 27.

In the semi-finals, she will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who comes from a surprise three-set win over Olga Danilovic (7th seed). Raducanu will aim to reach a WTA semi-final again, something she has only done once since her US Open title: at the 2025 DC Open.