"Plenty to build on": Tim Henman backs Emma Raducanu to continue to improve during 2024 despite early Australian Open defeat
WTA
Former Britain number one Tim
Henman backs young Emma Raducanu to come back after suffering an early exit
from the Australian Open.
The 21-year-old, who recently
returned to the court after a gap of nearly one year, lost in the second round
of the first Grand Slam of the year to China’s Wang Yafan with a score of 6-4,
4-6, 6-4.
Henman, who played in six Grand
Slam semifinals in his career but never managed to book a place in the final, was
recently quoted in a report where he backed Raducanu to bounce back from the
defeat as she has ‘plenty to build on’.
“I think [her] level was excellent
when she won that second set to go a set all,” he said. “You thought that she’d
got the momentum, but Wang is a great competitor. Emma had some physical
problems. I thought the level of tennis was good. Plenty to build on.
“She’ll be disappointed that she
couldn’t find a way to come through that match, but you’d like to think that if
there are no injuries, then you don’t get those setbacks and she can build more
momentum for the rest of the year.
“She had her blood pressure taken,
so it’ll be interesting to hear how she was feeling. Maybe she’d been
struggling with her breathing.”
After the match, Raducanu stated
that she was struggling with illness before and during the match but never
thought about retiring.
“I’ve been in that situation
before in matches, whether it was with illness or injury and retired a few
times, but I think with what I went through last year, it’s made me so much
tougher and there was no way I was going to pull out,” she said. “She was going
to have to beat me and she did but I think with all the setbacks last year it’s
made me so much tougher.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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