Preview: Emma Raducanu vs. Robin Montgomery - prediction, form, head-to-head

What is shaping up to beryllium a pivotal 2025 play commences connected Sunday for Emma Raducanu, who begins her run successful the archetypal circular of the ASB Classic against Robin Montgomery.

The erstwhile US Open champion enters her inaugural tourney of the twelvemonth arsenic the sixth effect and spearheads Great Britain's hopes successful Auckland aft shining astatine the Billie Jean King Cup.

Match preview

© Imago

Whisper it quietly, but the champion of Raducanu has been coming retired to play arsenic the 2025 play approaches, arsenic the erstwhile British fig 1 dazzled and delighted the Malaga crowds during GB's barnstorming tally to the last 4 of the BJK Cup.

Germany's Jule Niemeier, Canada's Rebecca Marino and Slovakia's Viktoria Hruncakova each fell to Raducanu's superiority successful consecutive sets, though the latter's federation inactive proved excessively beardown implicit the people of 3 matches arsenic Anne Keothavong's harvest bowed retired astatine the semi-final stage.

Raducanu showed fewer sick effects from a caller ft wounded during the planetary tournament, and the 22-year-old has arrived Down Under refreshed and raring to spell for 2025, nary uncertainty with 1 oculus connected the Australian Open successful a mates of weeks' time.

A forgettable first-round US Open exit to Sofia Kenin succeeded a much pleasing tally to the past 16 of Wimbledon, and Raducanu could adjacent avenge that fourth-round nonaccomplishment to Lulu Sun implicit the adjacent fewer days; the New Zealander mightiness await her successful the ASB quarter-finals.

However, Raducanu and her squad - present reinforced by renowned fittingness trainer Yutaka Nakamura, formerly of Naomi Osaka and Maria Sharapova's camps - volition lone wage attraction to the task astatine manus against Montgomery archetypal and foremost, arsenic the 22-year-old seeks a sixth triumph from 7 matches connected hard courts.

© Imago

Twice earlier has the erstwhile US Open champion competed astatine Auckland, and doubly earlier has she been eliminated successful the 2nd round, going down to Viktoria Kuzmova successful 2023 anterior to her battling decision against Elina Svitolina successful the 2024 edition.

Two years Raducanu's junior, USA protege Montgomery endeavours to travel successful the footsteps of compatriot and chap rising prima Coco Gauff, the reigning ASB Classic champion who volition not beryllium defending her crown this clip astir owing to her information successful the United Cup.

Twenty-year-old Montgomery is yet to deed the Gauff heights, but 2024 was inactive a momentous twelvemonth for the American starlet, who won a main-draw Grand Slam lucifer for the archetypal clip astatine Wimbledon earlier falling astatine the hands of Ons Jabeur successful circular two.

However, it was astatine the WTA 1000 tourney successful Madrid wherever Montgomery made her biggest statements, upsetting British fig 1 Katie Boulter successful circular 2 and taking a acceptable disconnected of Aryna Sabalenka earlier losing successful 3 sets to the satellite fig one.

Three of the American's last 4 matches successful the 2024 run ended successful defeat, though - astir precocious a first-round nonaccomplishment successful November's Argentina Open, a WTA 125 tourney - though a clash with either Niemeier oregon a qualifier volition beryllium her prize if she tin repetition her Boulter instrumentality against Raducanu.

Head To Head

Sunday's first-round lucifer volition pit Raducanu and Montgomery against each different for the archetypal clip astatine the apical level, and the Briton sits 60 places higher successful the WTA rankings, coming successful astatine satellite fig 57 to Montgomery's 117.

However, the American has the flimsy carnal vantage - lasting astatine 5ft 10in tall, 3 inches much than Raducanu - and her left-handed crippled volition besides airs a antithetic situation to the 22-year-old's right-handed style.

We say: Raducanu to triumph successful 2 sets

Montgomery has proven to beryllium nary pushover against the likes of Boulter and Sabalenka, but her astir notable results person travel connected clay and writer alternatively than hard courts, wherever Raducanu excelled towards the extremity of 2024.

Whether rustiness comes into play for either rival lone clip volition tell, but we person implicit religion successful a rejuvenated Raducanu to footwear disconnected her 2025 play connected the close enactment and advancement to circular 2 without excessively overmuch trouble.

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