Former six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs told an Emma Raducanu critic to “get educated” after he decided to go after the Briton following one of her Washington victories. On Thursday, Raducanu edged out Camila Osorio 7-6 (5) 7-6 (4) in a two-hour and 50-minute match.
It was the longest two-set WTA match of the year. After the win, Raducanu said on-court, “I think I died about three times in that match.” The playing conditions were absolutely brutal that day as the temperatures went as high as 36C.
“Wta 250 thats almost too hard for her lol,” a tennis fan said in a response to Raducanu’s comments.
Stubbs then jumped onto Raducanu’s defence
Stubbs noticed the comment and hit back: “Well Halep, Pegula, Mertens and other seeds didn’t survive here as of yet, so that a ridiculous comment to make.
Get educated.”
Well Halep, Pegula, Mertens and other seeds didn’t survive here as of yet, so that a ridiculous comment to make. Get educated. — Rennae Stubbs OLY (@rennaestubbs) August 5, 2022
In the second set, Raducanu had a 4-2 lead and three consecutive break points.
Osorio somehow worked her way back itno the second set and managed to force a tie-break. But Raducanu was able to keep her focus and win in two sets. “I think I died about three times in that match and then came back.
I don’t know how!” Raducanu said after beating Osorio. “Camila is such a battler. Every single point I was working so, so hard and sometimes it wasn’t necessarily the strongest shots, but you’ve just got to generate, generate over and over again.
She’s such a fighter and even when I was up in the second set, 4-2, 40-love, three break points, she came back fighting. When she comes back, the dynamic of the match changes a little bit so I’m really pleased to have got through that one.
After a set like that where there’s so much emotion involved and you win the set, it’s very easy to switch off. I was telling myself to stay sharp, keep working for every point. I knew as soon as I let up she’d be right back in and that’s what she did”. After beating Osorio, Raducanu exited Washington following a quarterfinal defeat versus Liudmila Samsonova.
