Aryna Sabalenka was full of praise for Emma Raducanu and made a prediction about the Brit after the pair’s epic Cincinnati Open showdown.
The world No 1 overcame 39th-ranked Raducanu 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(5) in an intense third round Cincinnati contest lasting three hours and nine minutes.
After the pair split the first two sets, Sabalenka prevailed in a decisive tiebreak after a marathon 90-minute third set.
The three-time major champion now holds a 3-0 record against 2021 US Open winner Raducanu, although all three encounters have been competitive.
In their third round Wimbledon meeting last month, Sabalenka won 7-6(6), 6-4 in a pulsating clash after saving a set point in the first set and recovering from 1-4, 30-40 down in the second.
Following the match at the WTA 1000 tournament in Ohio, Sabalenka hailed Raducanu’s development.
“I’m super happy once again to see her back and fighting,” said Sabalenka.
“Every tournament, I feel like she’s improving and getting better, and she definitely gonna get back into the top 10.
“She’s moving well, she’s a smart player. She’s serving well, even though sometimes you can see where she’s going. But the speed, the spin is very difficult to adjust to. She’s basically doing everything [well].”
The Belarusian added: “As I said at Wimbledon I am really happy to see her healthy – mentally and physically.
“Every time she is improving and I can see she is getting back to her best. I’m enjoying fighting against her – she is such an incredible player.”
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In an interview with Tennis Channel, the 27-year-old admitted Raducanu had made her feel “old” during the match.
“The whole time I’ve been thinking this is what they call aging,” Sabalenka declared.
“I was like, ‘This is how it feels to be old.’ I looked at Emma and she was pumped and ready to play the next point and I was still trying to recover my breath. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’
“I couldn’t believe I’m getting old. I looked at Jason (her fitness coach), didn’t say anything, but we need to do something because I’m getting old.
“I was just trying to control my breath. I was just trying to do those slow exhales, just make sure I can breathe normal. And I was hoping that I’m going to be able to stay there in these conditions and get the win.”
On playing matches of such intensity, Sabalenka said: “It’s fun to watch, not fun to play. I go for the shots and I pray. My team is always cramping up watching me, but it’s fun afterwards — especially if you win.
“I never go for crazy amounts of practice during a tournament, but we’ll do some extra recovery, stretching, mobility — just to make sure my ‘old’ body will be ready.
“I just did the cold plunge for ten minutes. The last time I did it in Florida, I could only last one minute. That’s how hard it felt today — I didn’t even want to get out. But I had to, because I had to talk to you guys.
“I was brave enough to come to the net and go for some risky shots I’ve been working on in the last couple of weeks.
“[New coach] Max [Mirnyi] is happy with my volley, but at the same time, he’s like, ‘That’s too risky.’ Still, I was pretty happy with those shots. I think I just made quite brave decisions, and that’s why I got the win.”
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