By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Marketa Vondrousova broke serve five times topping 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-3, 6-4 in her Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open opener.
Photo credit: Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open Facebook
The ink on her arms shows Marketa Vondrousova’s commitment to creativity.
In a clash of Grand Slam champions, drop-shot artist Vondrousova painted Emma Raducanu right out of the Abu Dhabi draw.
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The 2023 Wimbledon winner Vondrousova broke serve five times topping 2021 US Open champion Raducanu 6-3, 6-4 in her Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open opener today.
“It was a tough match,” Vondrousova told Monica Puig in her on-court interview. “She played some great rallies and it was a battle to the end.
“So I’m very happy. I can’t wait for my next match.”
Ons Jabeur edged seventh-seeded Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(4), 7-5. Since her run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals last July, Ostapenko has posted a 2-9 record
The 56th-ranked Raducanu suffered her second straight first-round defeat.
Both Vondrousova and Raducanu have battled injuries since their major breakthroughs.
A left shoulder injury sidelined the left-hander from Czechia for six months last season. Vondrousova made her 2025 debut in Adelaide reaching the round of 16 before injury forced her to retire from the event and miss the Australian Open.
“I mean it’s always great to be back,” Vondrousova said. “I’m very grateful to be back and playing healthy. I try to enjoy as much as I can.”
After undergoing ankle surgery and surgery to both wrists in the spring of 2023, the 22-year-old Raducanu delivered a bounce-back season last year. Raducanu reached the Wimbledon round of 16 and quarterfinals at Washington, DC and Seoul in her final four tournaments of the 2024 season to finish last season ranked No. 58.
Today, Raducanu won eight of her first nine service points and broke first for a 3-1 lead.
A proactive Vondrousova flipped the script using superb touch as a tool of torment. Vondrousova began dragging the Briton wide then dabbing drop shots into the front court. Vondrousova hit eight drop shot winners against a speedy opponent.
Dialing in her returns, Vondrousova won five straight games to snatch a one-set lead.
The Olympic silver medalist hit the T serve and backhand drop shot winner—her seventh drop shot winner of the match—in holding for 4-3.
If Raducanu reviews this match on video she may notice she grew a bit predictable hitting most second serves on the ad side down the middle. Vondrousova broke again for 5-3.
Serving for the match, Vondrousova slapped her ninth double fault into net to face double break point. Raducanu read the wide serve and fired a forehand return crosscourt breaking back for 4-5.
A biting return brought a wild mis-hit from Raducanu, who faced triple match point.
The Briton caught the baseline with a backhand to save the first match point then slid a forehand strike down the line denying match point No. 2.
On match point No. 3, Raducanu attacked behind a backhand cross but paid the price as Vondrousova dipped a pass to end a 95-minute match.
Vondrousova will face fourth-seeded Yulia Puntintseva for a quarterfinal spot in a clash of spin artists.
Earlier, new mom Belinda Bencic beat Rebecca Sramkova 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Wild card Bencic broke five times in a two hour, two-minute triumph.
Bencic, who beat Vondrousova to win the Olympic gold medal in 2021, will play Veronika Kudermetova, who saved a match point edging Liudmila Samsonova yesterday.
Canadian Leylah Fernandez fought off Moyuka Uchijima 7-6(3), 7-6(0).
The eighth-seeded Fernandez set up a second-round clash vs. New Zealand’s Lulu Sun, who swept Caroline Garcia yesterday.