Emma Raducanu Dominates Stearns to Advance to Canadian Open Third Round

Emma Raducanu claimed yet another win at the Canadian Open, beating 32nd-seeded Peyton Stearns with a score of 6-2, 6-4. The previous US Open winner keeps moving forward in Montreal and will face either Amanda Anisimova or Lulu Sun in the Round of 32.

The British player entered the competition following a first-round victory—also with the same score—over Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse. The world number 33 athlete still requires another win to protect her ranking points for this week and stay within the top positions.

At present, Raducanu has reason to be satisfied with her play during the hard court season, having secured five victories and just one defeat. Earlier last week, Raducanu beat Marta Kostyuk, Naomi Osaka, and Maria Sakkari (each without dropping a set), then lost to Anna Kalinskaya in the semifinals — which was her debut at this point in a WTA 500 tournament.

On Stearns' part, this represents her third straight first-round loss — following defeats by Laura Siegemund at Wimbledon and Venus Williams in Washington. The American has lost the opportunity to be seeded at the U.S. Open and will compete again next week at the Cincinnati Open.

First Set: Raducanu's accuracy establishes an initial advantage

In the opening set, Raducanu displayed dominance from the baseline, recording 6 aces and securing 71% of points on her initial serve. The British player took advantage of her rival's mistakes and weak second serves to gain the first breakthrough in the fourth game. She then extended her run to 11 straight points on her service, putting herself ahead at 5-2.

At that instant, the most disputed game of the match occurred during Stearns' service, consisting of 20 points. Raducanu capitalized on her sixth chance to break serve, securing the set with a score of 6-2. The British player did not allow her rival any break opportunities, winning the set following two successful breaks out of seven attempts over the course of 42 minutes.

Second Set: Raducanu's perseverance shines through

At the beginning of the second set, Stearns saw an improvement, demonstrating more efficiency on her serves and putting pressure on Raducanu to defend. During the third game, Raducanu avoided a break point, yet by the fifth game, Stearns was able to gain the advantage. With few opportunities presented on her own serve, the top-ranked American player maintained a comfortable 4-2 lead.

Raducanu remained composed and demonstrated strength during the critical moments of the match. She managed to gain a break in the eighth game — bringing the score to 4-4 — and then, in the following game, she defended against as many as three break points to remain competitive and eventually seize control. Meanwhile, Stearns struggled when faced with intense pressure, allowing Raducanu to secure the decisive break that led to her final score of 6-2, 6-4, advancing her into the Round of 32.

Raducanu accumulated 21 triumphs in WTA 1000 events during her professional journey (11 of those came this year), and she currently holds 23 wins for the current season. This marks a tie with her performance in 2024, which was her most successful season in terms of total match victories, as she also secured the same amount of wins then.

Raducanu's upcoming test will involve facing either Amanda Anisimova (the fifth-seeded player) or Lulu Sun, individuals she is familiar with. She has faced the American twice this year—in Australia and at the Miami event—with victories in both matches without losing a set. In contrast, she experienced a tough loss against Sun during the fourth round of Wimbledon 2024—where Sun gained recognition after advancing to her initial Grand Slam quarterfinals.

Match Stats: Raducanu versus Stearns

Raducanu	VS	Stearns
Service
6	Aces	4
4	Double Faults	5
62% (38/61)	1st Service Percentage	52% (32/62)
71% (27/38)	1st Service Points Won	69% (22/32)
57% (13/23)	2nd Service Points Won	37% (11/30)
83% (5/6)	Break Points Saved	60% (6/10)
89% (8/9)	Service Games	56% (5/9)
Return
31% (10/32)	1st Return Points Won	29% (11/38)
63% (19/30)	2nd Return Points Won	43% (10/23)
-	Break Points Saved	-
Other
1h 35m	Match Duration	1h 35m

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