Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina Preview & Prediction | 2024 Auckland Open | Round of 16
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THE FACTS
What is this tournament classed as in terms of ranking points? WTA 250
When is Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina on and what time does it start? Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina will take place on Thursday 4th January, 2024 – not before 05:30 (UK)
Where is Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina taking place? Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina will take place at the ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland, New Zealand
What surface is Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina being played on? Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina will take place on an outdoor hard court
Where can I get tickets for Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina? Click here for the latest ticket information for Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina
What channel is Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina on in the UK? Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina will be televised live on Sky Sports in the UK
Where can I stream Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina in the UK? Sky Sports subscribers can stream Emma Raducanu vs Elina Svitolina live on Sky Go
THE PREDICTION
21-year-old Emma Raducanu dug deep to out-last Elena-Gabriela Ruse in three tight sets on Wednesday, claiming her first victory since a run to the round of 16 at Indian Wells last March. The Brit has endured a tough time since her era-defining run to the US Open title at 19 years old back in 2021, undergoing three surgeries last year after ending her season in April, and she is still without a full-time coach as she takes tentative steps back to full-time tennis. Expectations should be limited whilst Raducanu tests her recovering physicality but it should be noted that the last four players to beat the former world number 10 are all Grand Slam-winning contemporaries (Coco Gauff, Jelena Ostapenko, Iga Swiatek and Bianca Andreescu) and her ceiling remains at the very top of the sport.
World number 25 Elina Svitolina showed the rest of the tour how to return from a long absence last year, ending up the WTA’s Comeback of the Year winner after a truly inspirational resurgence following maternity leave. The Ukrainian reached the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros and, fantastically, the semi-finals at Wimbledon for the first time since 2020 and 2019, respectively, with an upgraded brand of much more aggressive tennis than we had become accustomed to. Returning to the top 10 is not out of the question for the former number three, who beat fellow returner Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets on Wednesday, and she should have too much for Raducanu in this first meeting between the two. Stranger things have happened, though, so taking Svitolina to earn at least a set looks the suitably cautious call in a match that the crowd will try to extend all they can.
TIP: ELINA SVITOLINA TO WIN A SET
