NEW YORK-- Emma Raducanu produced a commanding performance at the U.S. Open on Wednesday as the 2021 champion swept aside Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen 6-2 6-1 to reach the third round.
The 22-year-old, who earned her first victory at the tournament in her opening match on Sunday since lifting the trophy, faced a spirited challenger in Tjen, fresh off an upset win over 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
Yet Raducanu's sharp serving and relentless pace proved too much, as she raced to the finish line in just an hour, her quickest Grand Slam win.
"I'm very pleased with how I played today. Janice is a super dangerous opponent, and I thought any ball that I put that wasn't good enough, she just put away," Raducanu said.
"Janice is playing some really dangerous tennis and beat one of the top seeds in the first round.
"I'm sure she can build and take a lot of confidence from this. I'm looking forward to the next time I play her."
Raducanu seemed locked in from the outset, earning a break in her first return game before holding after saving three break points to open up a 3-0 lead.
Britain's number one never allowed Tjen to find her rhythm, closing out the first set with solid serving and powerful groundstrokes.
She never took her foot off the gas and broke twice in the second set to take another decisive lead before serving out the match, completing a stellar performance that featured 16 winners, eight aces and no double faults.
It was Raducanu's 26th win of the season, the highest tally of her career.
The world number 36, who began working earlier this month with coach Francisco Roig, said her improved consistency in training has been the foundation of her campaign.
"The consistency of doing good practice days every day has helped to build on that," she said, crediting the work she has put in on and off the court in recent weeks.
Central to her improvement has been the sharpness of her serve, showcased in her second-round win. She conceded only 13 points on serve and saved all three points she faced.
"I thought that I served very well," Raducanu later told reporters. "It always helps me when I’m serving well. It just kind of seeps into the rest of my game."
Raducanu has spent just over two hours on court across her opening two matches, conserving energy while sharpening her game through extra practice sessions.
"I don't think I'll practice again today and just focus on recovery and preparing for the next round, because it’s going to be a really difficult match regardless," she added.
She will face either Czech teenager Tereza Valentova or 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the next round.
