What does Raducanu need to do to beat Swiatek?

While Iga Swiatek has enjoyed plentifulness of occurrence connected different hard courts, the Australian Open is wherever she remains ripe to beryllium connected the extremity of an upset.

On Saturday, Emma Raducanu is readying to beryllium the 1 who causes it successful this year's 3rd round.

British fig 2 Raducanu goes toe-to-toe with the five-time large champion connected Rod Laver Arena astatine 00:30 GMT.

"I wouldn't beryllium acrophobic to accidental that this could beryllium a large upset due to the fact that Raducanu loves the spotlight," erstwhile satellite fig 5 Daniela Hantuchova told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Raducanu, though, has mislaid each 3 of their erstwhile matches.

So however tin the satellite fig 61 upset the likelihood against the Polish 2nd effect astatine Melbourne Park?

The archetypal cardinal origin volition beryllium Raducanu's carnal state.

The 22-year-old did not play a warm-up tourney earlier the opening Grand Slam of the play aft suffering a backmost spasm erstwhile she bent down to necktie a shoelace.

During her second-round lucifer against Amanda Anisimova, Raducanu doubly needed attraction connected the country and planned to "take it easy" successful signifier connected Friday.

"I've had issues with it successful the past month, but I person a small spot of clip earlier the adjacent lucifer truthful I anticipation to get it right," said the 2021 US Open champion.

Raducanu needed to agelong retired her backmost during work games against Anisimova and has been breached 11 times successful her archetypal 2 matches astatine Melbourne Park.

The troubles with her service tin besides beryllium enactment down to a deficiency of signifier clip - due to the fact that of the backmost contented - connected a precocious remodelled motion.

If Raducanu is incapable to regularly clasp service against Swiatek, it would apt person terrible repercussions.

The 23-year-old has dropped service conscionable doubly truthful acold - some successful her opening 6-3 6-4 triumph implicit Czech hostile Katerina Siniakova.

Raducanu's well-documented wounded problems are the crushed wherefore she added a full-time fittingness trainer to her squad for 2025.

Employing Yutaka Nakamura, who antecedently worked with Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka, was designed to marque her much durable and sharper.

Against Anisimova, Raducanu was blessed with her question contempt needing to "push past the pain".

"I thought I was moving truly good into the corners," she said.

"I deliberation I was capable to get to immoderate balls that possibly I wouldn't person been capable to previously."

Raducanu knows she volition request to beryllium astatine her astir mobile against Swiatek.

Asked what impresses her astir astir the erstwhile long-time satellite fig one, Raducanu told BBC Sport: "Her athleticism. She slides and defends truly good disconnected the backhand country and counter-punches that broadside truly strongly.

"That's a large strength."

In the past year, determination person been examples of Swiatek struggling against assertive baseliners similar Raducanu - notably successful her Australian Open exit 12 months ago.

Czech Linda Noskova, past 19, ramped up the powerfulness and that paid dividends successful a three-set comeback win.

Afterwards, Swiatek said she had felt "stressed" and "uncomfortable" astatine being incapable to adapt.

However, she has appeared to larn from that experience.

Overcoming difficulties against Japan's four-time large victor Naomi Osaka astatine the French Open and Britain's Katie Boulter astatine the caller United Cup lucifer indicated her advancement astatine problem-solving against this benignant of player.

On some occasions, Swiatek initially tried to lucifer her hostile for gait and the accrued velocity connected her groundstrokes led to a bid of unforced errors.

Once she stopped trying to outhit them, hitting loopier returns alternatively of flatter ones, each contention swung her way.

Nevertheless, you would ideate Raducanu needs to beryllium assertive from the baseline alternatively than simply counter-punching to springiness herself a chance.

Swiatek, whose 1 hard-court large triumph came astatine the 2022 US Open, has lone managed to spell past the Melbourne 4th circular once, erstwhile she reached the semi-finals 3 years ago.

The faster tribunal speeds astatine Melbourne Park person been a conflict to get to grips with.

"We cognize Iga tin beryllium precise susceptible connected these courts and does not consciousness arsenic comfy successful beforehand of the fans present arsenic overmuch arsenic Emma," said Hantuchova.

"The lone happening is Emma has not played idiosyncratic with that strength and that calibre for a agelong time."

As she demonstrated successful her fairytale US Open run, Raducanu tin thrive nether the spotlight of the large juncture - peculiarly erstwhile fewer others are giving her a chance.

That is the mentality she volition look to follow against Swiatek.

"It's going to beryllium a lucifer for maine wherever I consciousness similar I don't truly person overmuch anticipation externally," said Raducanu.

"But I deliberation you ever person the unit that you enactment connected yourself to execute to your champion ability."