Emma Raducanu has praised her mental resilience after coming from behind to defeat Veronika Kudermetova at the Italian Open, with the 22-year-old also firing shots at her opponent for 'trying to throw me off'.
The British player highlighted her ability to maintain focus despite losing the first set.
"The best thing about today I think was recovering after the first set having served for it," Raducanu told Sky Sports.
She also addressed how she handled Kudermetova's medical timeout late in the second set, which she believed was tactical.
Emma Raducanu is through to the next round of the Italian Open following her win on Sunday
REUTERS
"It was difficult, luckily I was 5-0 up when she took the timeout. I kind of knew it was to throw me off but I kept my cool," she added.
Raducanu secured her place in the last-16 of the Italian Open with an impressive comeback victory against former World Kudermetova, who is No 9 in the world rankings.
The 22-year-old Briton recovered from a disappointing first set to dominate the remainder of the match.
Her 5-7 6-0 6-1 triumph sets up an exciting clash with fourth seed Coco Gauff in Rome.
After losing the opening set despite having served for it at 5-4, she responded emphatically by winning 12 of the next 13 games.
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Emma Raducanu accused Veronika Kudermetova of 'trying to throw me off' at the Italian Open
REUTERS
Raducanu's turnaround began after an unlucky moment for Kudermetova in the opening game of the second set.
The Russian suffered a bad bounce off the clay when leading 40-15 on serve.
Raducanu capitalised by winning the next four points to break, which sparked her comeback.
She then maintained her momentum throughout the remainder of the match.
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"From the third set I was really on it. It's hard after serving for the first set, it doesn't just slip your mind," Raducanu explained.
"You do refer back to it even if you're going into the third set. I'm really happy with how I refocused."
Raducanu reflected on the improvements in her game following the victory.
"I'm happy with the variety that I have on my shots, I'm able to return from two different positions up and back, which is new," she said.
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"I've adopted the back more in the last two matches and it's helped me get into the point."
The British player acknowledged there are still areas to develop, however, as she chases a first singles title in nearly four years.
"But I still think I can be better out of the corners and moving, sometimes I feel a bit caught out still," she said.
She described her performance as showing "big progress" compared to previous matches.
Raducanu will now face World No 3 Gauff in the last-16 round in Rome.
Emma Raducanu will do battle against Coco Gauff at the Italian Open today
REUTERS
This will be just the second meeting between the two players, with their previous encounter coming in the second round of the Australian Open in 2023.
Interestingly, Raducanu admitted she was not aware of her draw in the tournament prior to her victory.
The match against Gauff represents another significant test for Raducanu as she continues her comeback.
The American fourth seed will provide a measuring stick for the "big progress" Raducanu believes she has made in her game.
