WTA Eastbourne – Li Ann vs Emma Raducanu Preview

WTA Eastbourne – Li Ann vs Emma Raducanu Preview

🧠 Form & Context

Li Ann
🎂 Celebrates her 25th birthday with her first main-draw appearance at Eastbourne—a special milestone on British grass.
📉 After hitting a career-high of No. 44 last year, she’s been quieter this season (15–13 record in 2025, 1–1 on grass).
🏃‍♀️ Her game relies on speed and taking the ball early to compensate for her shorter stature (1.60 m), a style that plays well on low-bounce surfaces.
🏆 Her best result this year came indoors in Singapore (finalist), but deeper runs at WTA-500 level have eluded her.

Emma Raducanu
🌟 The local star returns to Eastbourne with home crowd support and an upward trajectory in the rankings—could rise from No. 38 to the Top 25 with a strong showing.
🔁 Spring saw ups and downs: a Miami quarterfinal and Queen’s Club QF, but heavy defeats to Gauff and Swiatek show she’s still building back.
🌱 Grass is a natural fit—she’s 31–12 on the surface and made the Eastbourne QF last year. So far this week, she’s dropped just 10 games across 3 matches.
💪 Physical recovery complete: after last year’s wrist surgeries, her serve speed and court coverage are visibly improving.

🔍 Match Breakdown
Raducanu has momentum, surface comfort, and the crowd—all major edges. Li will need to play aggressive from the start to keep up.
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WTA Nottingham: Katie Boulter vs Lulu Sun

WTA Nottingham: Katie Boulter vs Lulu Sun – Reigning Queen Meets Lefty Challenger

🧠 Form & Context

Katie Boulter 🇬🇧
🏆 Nottingham Reign: Two-time defending champion (2023 & 2024), the British No. 1 brings a 52–34 career grass record and thrives on home soil.
🔥 Hot Streak: Won the Paris WTA 125 in May and looked strong in Queen’s opener before a competitive loss to Shnaider.
🛠️ Built for Grass: Big serve, compact backhand, and effective flat hitting—her game fits slick surfaces perfectly.
👀 Pressure Factor: She’s the fan favorite, but defending a title can bring its own nerves.
Lulu Sun 🇳🇿
🔀 Inconsistent 2025: Holding an 11–16 record with only one grass win this season. Confidence a bit shaky.
👣 Capable but Incomplete: 20 career grass wins, though most came in ITFs. Lost heavily to Andreescu last week.
🧠 H2H Edge: Beat Boulter in straight sets in their only meeting (2023 ITF Maribor), albeit in very different form cycles.
🇳🇿 Nottingham Debut: First WTA main-draw appearance here—new environment, uncertain upside.

🔍 Match Breakdown

Sun’s lefty style and soft touch can cause issues on grass, especially against players who rely heavily on rhythm and pace. However, her recent form and physical presence on court haven’t matched up with top-tier opposition. Boulter, by contrast, feels at home in Nottingham. Her serve and return games are much improved, and she’s shown she can beat both aggressive players and scrappy defenders. Unless Sun finds her best tennis and disrupts with variety and angles, Boulter should control proceedings. If Sun can stretch the court wide to Boulter’s backhand and take early return chances, she might sneak a set or force a tiebreak—but Boulter’s combination of confidence, shot selection, and crowd energy is a steep mountain to climb.

🔮 Prediction

Pick: Boulter in 2 sets Expect Boulter to withstand Sun’s best efforts and maintain her Nottingham dominance. One close set is possible, but the British No. 1 should come through in straight sets.

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📊 Tale of the Tape

• 2025 W/L: Boulter 23–10 | Sun 11–16
• Grass Record: Boulter 52–34 | Sun ~20 career wins (mostly ITF)
• H2H: Sun leads 1–0 (2023 Maribor ITF)
• Style: Boulter – Power baseliner | Sun – Lefty, variety-based counterpuncher
• Venue History: Boulter – 2x Champion | Sun – Debut