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Emma Raducanu was no match for World No. 1 Iga Swiatek at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Tuesday. Swiatek, the defending champion, surged into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-1 win over the British star.
Comparing her level of tennis with that of the World No. 1, Raducanu said her opponent was able to handle the physical side of the match better. The World No. 77 stressed that Swiatek was "much further ahead" of her at the moment.
Although Raducanu started well in their Indian Wells clash, Swiatek began dominating proceedings soon after. Each of them had two break points in the first four games of the first set, which were shared to bring the score to 2-2, before the Pole pulled away.
The second set was a mere formality for Swiatek as she quickly wrapped things up.
At her post-match press conference, Emma Raducanu reflected on the competitiveness of the match in the first 20 minutes.
"Overall, I feel like physically she is much further ahead than I am at the moment," she said. "I think I was able to stay competitive in the beginning of the first set, and then I think the first three games took, like, over 20 minutes. We were having some pretty epic rallies, and I think my defense got better. But that meant me running (sic)."
The win extended Iga Swiatek's lead over Emma Raducanu to 2-0 in their head-to-head. The pair had also met at Stuttgart in 2022, where Swiatek prevailed 6-4, 6-4.
Raducanu also compared how the conditions were different in their two meetings, and threw light on how she had to adjust herself when playing.
"I think in those conditions, it's funny how I feel like you could be playing in -- it could be two different matches, I feel. I played her in Stuttgart indoors, fast, clay, and I played her outdoor heavy at night on these courts," she said.
"Yeah, it was, for me, I felt like it was two different matches, like there, indoors, ball doesn't move around in the wind, it just goes through. Here, ball's moving a bit, you need to be in position," she added.
Raducanu has been sidelined by injuries and illnesses since the Australian Open. But she rediscovered some of her form at Indian Wells, beating 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in the third round before going down to Swiatek.
This tournament is only the second time since her historic 2021 US Open title run that Raducanu has registered three straight wins on the tour.
Emma Raducanu cherishes every opportunity she gets to step on the court
Emma Raducanu stated in her press conference that she relishes the opportunity to compete more than anything else. The Brit also admitted that she was unable to train as much as she had hoped prior to the tournament, and that at one point she had even questioned whether she would be able to play at all.
"I mean, this tournament I had so little practice in the last few weeks, that really playing the matches has been a bonus and a win. I'm enjoying competing again," she said.
Raducanu added that she is savoring every moment on the court and that she hopes to continue doing the good work.
"Yeah, I think this feeling of competition definitely beats, you know, being sick or injured or out. So I'm really just cherishing every time I get to step out on the match court," she said.
Emma Raducanu will aim to continue in the same vein next week, and climb up the WTA rankings in the process. She has received a main-draw wildcard at the Miami Open, which begins soon after Indian Wells.
