Emma Raducanu rapidly dispatches Janice Tjen in show of US Open force
On her return to Flushing Meadows this year, significant tension and nerves followed Emma Raducanu as she attempted to finally secure her first win since her triumph here four years ago.Two matches in, she has shown that she has never been more ready for the challenges to come.Raducanu continued to demonstrate the fruits of her recent labour by putting together another devastating performance, demolishing the qualifier Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-1 to return to the third round of the US Open.The challenge for Raducanu on Wednesday was figuring out a talented but unheralded opponent whom few players in the tournament have had the opportunity to watch, let alone face in a match.Once again, the British No 1 showed that she is playing her best tennis since winning the title here in 2021 here and that confidence is growing with every victory.
Another dominant showing on Louis Armstrong Stadium was spearheaded by a supreme serving performance, which allowed her to step inside the baseline and dominate until the end,“I’m particularly happy, because I felt like my opponent was playing really good tennis,” Raducanu said,“I thought that she was very dangerous and any ball that I put midcourt was going to be punished,So I’m very pleased with how I kept dictating the points, I kept dictating the play, and didn’t let her too often get her front foot on the court,She’s obviously been playing very well, done a lot of winning, and took out Veronika [Kudermetova] in the first round.
I was on full alert playing today.”This was a tricky challenge against an opponent whose ranking belies her form and quality.Despite being just six months older than Raducanu, the 23-year-old Tjen turned professional only last June after opting to take the US college route.Starting from the lowest rung of the ITF circuit, and receiving no wildcards, Tjen had compiled a 95-10 record over the past 15 months.From being unranked last June, she now stands at No 149.
Tjen’s playing style bears more than a passing resemblance to one of the most distinctive champions of the 21st century: Ash Barty.She similarly pairs a potent, spinny forehand with a nasty, varied backhand slice and a willingness for pushing forward to the net.She played a brilliant opening‑round match to topple the 24th seed Kudermetova, which made her the first Indonesian player to win a grand slam main‑draw match in 22 years.Much like in her opening-round win against Ena Shibahara, however, Raducanu burst into the match producing a high level from the beginning.She served almost flawlessly, ending the set with 76% of first serves in, winning 84% of those first-serve points and firing down five aces in her four service games.
“I thought that I served very well and I put quite a few aces on the board,” Raducanu said.“It always helps me when I’m serving well.It just kind of seeps into the rest of my game.”Raducanu’s confidence behind her serve imbued her with the freedom to swing more freely on her groundstrokes.She put the excellent Tjen backhand slice under relentless pressure throughout the set with her cross‑court backhand, striking the ball early and cleanly as she repeatedly pinned the Indonesian in her backhand corner.
The straightforward opening set further inspired the most proactive version of Raducanu, who forced herself even further inside the baseline, taking bigger cuts of the ball earlier in the point.She smothered Tjen, who has no experience of competing against an opponent playing at such a high level and pace.In recent months, Raducanu has stressed the importance of improving the quality of her shotmaking in order to play more matches on her own terms.Although she has established a level of consistency, she felt she was relying too heavily on her court sense and fighting spirit rather than the quality of her ball-striking.Raducanu’s serving, the cleanliness of her groundstrokes and the way she bullied a lower-ranked opponent from on top of the baseline from start to finish showed that she continues to make progress.
After two emphatic wins against two qualifiers, the third round will likely provide a far greater measure of Raducanu’s level.She awaits the winner of the second round match between Elena Rybakina, the ninth seed and 2022 Wimbledon champion, and another qualifier in Tereza Valentova.
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Women’s Super League 2025-26 previews No 4: Chelsea
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