Anatomy of a tennis sensation: Emma Raducanu’s run to final is no fluke

A breakdown of the 18-year-old's strengths reveals power on both wings but she can still improve drop shot and slice

Maria Sakkari, one of the best servers in the world, reached the semi-final with a supreme serving performance against Karolina Pliskova, the world No 4. Two days later, that same serve was eviscerated by Raducanu, who constantly looks to hit her return early. Her ability to put immense pressure on the server by deflecting first serves with relentless depth and attacking sub-standard second serves has been one of the defining factors of her success. It has allowed her to immediately recover after poor starts and it gives her a say in every return game.