Emma Raducanu believes she has “nothing to lose” as she prepares to face former world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round of the Australian Open.
Raducanu overcame back problems and defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-3 7-5 and reached the 32nd final for the first time in Melbourne.
The 22-year-old is back in the third round of a hard-court Grand Slam for the first time since winning the 2021 US Open.
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Raducanu beat Amanda Anisimova 6-3 7-5 after overcoming backhand problems
“I like it. This is another chance to test my game,” Raducanu said ahead of her clash with world No.2 Swiateka on Saturday.
“I think obviously she (Swiatek) has already accomplished so much and I think I'm investing in it, I've got nothing to lose. I'm just going to swing. I'm going to do my best and I can't wait to play in front of you guys.
“She's a top player, she's been really consistent over the last few years. So it's going to be a match for me where I feel like I don't have a lot of expectations from the outside.
Radučana celebrates after defeating Anisimova in the second round match in Melbourne
“I think you always have the pressure you put on yourself to do your best, which isn't really going to change, but that's every match.
“I'm looking forward to going there and testing my game against the best because, at the end of the day, you play tennis and you live for these matches. It's going to be a great adrenaline rush.”
Radučanu pointed out that she will take it easy in her preparations for the meeting with the Pole, who wasted little time beating Slovakian Rebeka Sramkova 6-0 6-2 on Thursday.
Swiatek will be the highest-ranked player Raducanu has ever faced at a Grand Slam, and she has yet to win a set in three meetings with her.
“I think I'll probably just take it easy (on Friday),” she said. “I'll probably have a light knock. Nothing crazy.
“I played a lot of tennis today and two days ago, so I don't think I need to overdo it on the training court. Just to get the body going a little bit and really recover.”
Swiatek is 59 places above Raducanu in the world rankings, but he said: “There's no point in looking at the rankings, especially when you have these great players who have already been through great tournaments and won some tournaments.
“You know they can play well.”
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