Daria Kasatkina is through to the semi-finals of the 2024 Eastbourne International for the second year in a row after easily beating Emma Raducanu 6-2, 6-2 and to silence the crowd who have seen a barren spell today for British stars.
Katie Boulter was beaten 6-1, 7-6 in the Quarter-Finals earlier today by Jasmine Paolini who had a retirement in her first match so was playing her first full competitive tie since reaching the Roland Garros final.
While Harriet Dart was also well beaten earlier by Leylah Fernandez in straight sets who now moves through. It is Paolini who is next for the Russian with the other semi-final seeing Fernandez face Madison Keys. The latter benefitted from a walkover handed by Karolina Muchova who has seen her injury issues return on her right wrist seemingly which was given as the cause of withdrawal.
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Meaning those who came to see the women’s action at Eastbourne International this afternoon were left fairly disappointed especially with a home hope cull. Raducanu was the latest with the former US Open champion beaten in just under an hour and a half by Kasatkina.
Losing her serve early on at 2-1, she also did so again at 4-1 with Raducanu not able to lay a finger on the Kasatkina serve. She did finally manage to hold later in the set. But this was solely due to Kasatkina’s inability to serve it out. She had six set points over two games before finally claiming it to go into the lead.
The second set was more back and forth for a time but also had a key juncture. Kasatkina went 3-1 up after Raducanu spurned a break point chance and Kasatkina broke immediately herself to go 4-1 up. Raducanu broke back but as did Kasatkina who took her first match point chance from there. For Raducanu despite defeat, she can leave with her head held high.
She will have a huge ranking surge come Monday when Wimbledon starts and has gained the valuable match practice that she craved and wanted from withdrawing from Roland Garros qualifying. She has vindicated her decision with a semi-final and Quarter-Final and now will head to SW19 as Kasatkina moves on.
