Italian Open 2025: 'Proud' Emma Raducanu 'slowly finding feet' after cruising into third round with victory over Jil Teichmann in Rome

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British No. 2 Emma Raducanu is into the third round of the Italian Open after an impressive win over Switzerland's Jil Teichmann. The former US Open champion admits she "still doesn't feel really comfortable" on clay, but believes she is now "finding her feet". Elsewhere, Coco Gauff also booked her spot in the next round after victory against Victoria Mboko.

Emma Raducanu

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Emma Raducanu has admitted she "still doesn’t feel really comfortable" playing on clay, but says she's "slowly finding her feet" after a comfortable second-round victory at the Italian Open.

The British No. 2 triumphed over Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann in an impressive display in Rome on Friday afternoon, winning 6–2 6–2 in just one hour and 22 minutes.

She discovered she would be playing the left-hander just hours before the match, after 21st seed Ekaterina Alexandrova pulled out with an injury.

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It is now back-to-back clay court wins for Raducanu, who knocked out Australian teenager Maya Joint in the first round.

However, the Brit claims it is not a surface which comes naturally to her.

"I still don’t really feel comfortable," she told Sky Sports.

"But in a way it helps me because I have to be super focused on every single point, just get my feet right and try and not fall over, so it is a big challenge.

"The points are long, the balls do get heavier, when I was serving it out, it was getting slower and slower, so it is physical, but I’m slowly finding my feet."

Raducanu also had the challenge of readjusting her game plan when she found out she would not be facing Alexandrova.

She was warming up for their encounter when she received the news that her opponent had withdrawn with a shoulder injury.

"She’s a lefty, so it’s a completely different challenge," the former US Open champion added.

"I haven’t practised with a lefty and haven’t played one since Marketa Vondrousova in Abu Dhabi in February, so it was a challenge.

"The first few games I was adjusting to the way the ball curls, but I’m really proud of myself. I fought through and I’m really proud of how I came through that."

A good run in Rome could see her overtake Katie Boulter as Britain’s No. 1, who lost her first match at the Italian Open to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Raducanu will face Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in the third round, who is ranked 50th in the world.

Gauff ousts Mboko

Elsewhere in Rome, Coco Gauff booked her spot in the third round after beating Victoria Mboko in three sets.

The American fought from behind to win 3-6 6-2 6-1, in what she described as a "tough" encounter.

"It was a tough match, Victoria came out playing some tough tennis, I knew she was going to do [well] from watching some of her previous matches," she said.

"But overall, I'm just happy that I was able to step up my game."

She will face Magda Linette in the next round, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka - who advanced past Anastasia Potapova in straight sets - will take on Gauff's compatriot Sofia Kenin.

Watch and stream the 2025 tennis season, including the French Open, on TNT Sports and discovery+.

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