The match between Raducanu and Mertens was held on court number 1, the second largest venue at Wimbledon, and was played indoors. Born 21 years ago in Toronto, Canada, Raducanu moved with her family to England when she was two years old. Having risen through the ranks of British tennis, she rose to fame by winning the US Open when she was a teenager.
On Wednesday she was in her element against Mertens.
The first set was over in an instant. Raducanu saved both break chances for Mertens, the No. 33-ranked player among players on the Hologic WTA Tour. At the same time, she broke Mertens' serve twice, taking advantage of 12 unforced errors from the 28-year-old Belgian.
Raducanu achieved another break in the third game of the second set and repeated the feat in the fifth.
The next opponent for her is the winner of the last match between number 9 Maria Sakkari and unseeded Arantxa Rus. Raducanu has never played against Rus, but it is worth noting that she won her only previous match against the Sakkari 2021 title in New York.
Navarro, a 23-year-old from Charleston, South Carolina, needed just 59 minutes to topple Japan's Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion. In her first career appearance on Center Court, Navarro never faced a break point in the matchup.
Navarro, the 2021 NCAA champion from the University of Virginia, was outside the Top 50 a year ago but is currently ranked No. 17, the highest of her career. She has now reached the third round or better at all three Slams this year, peaking so far with the round of 16 at Roland Garros.
If Navarro wants to reach another Grand Slam round of 16, she will have to beat the red-hot Diana Shnaider in the third round. Shnaider, 20, outlasted 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-1 in just 49 minutes on Wednesday.
Shnaider has beaten Navarro twice this year, most recently last week in the semifinals in Bad Homburg. Shnaider won that grass event for her second title of the year, and is currently ranked 30th, the best of her career.
Navarro and Osaka had no problems on serve in the first six games of Wednesday's match, but at 3-3, Osaka committed four unforced errors in a row to give Navarro a break at love. At one point, Navarro scored 10 points in a row, although she had to hold off a two-game play to consolidate and take a 5-3 lead.
Osaka quickly regrouped on her serve, hitting a love serve to force Navarro to serve for the set. The American was up to the task, earning a set point with a strong smash and then converting that opportunity with a strong forehand, her ninth winner of the set.
A missed volley from Osaka gave Navarro a quick break point in the first game of the second set, and Navarro took advantage of her opportunity, executing a groundstroke to force an error from Osaka and take the early lead.
Navarro returned home from there, halting new mom Osaka's return to Wimbledon after a five-year absence. Navarro finished the match with 16 clean winners and only five unforced errors.
On Wednesday she was in her element against Mertens.
The first set was over in an instant. Raducanu saved both break chances for Mertens, the No. 33-ranked player among players on the Hologic WTA Tour. At the same time, she broke Mertens' serve twice, taking advantage of 12 unforced errors from the 28-year-old Belgian.
Raducanu achieved another break in the third game of the second set and repeated the feat in the fifth.
The next opponent for her is the winner of the last match between number 9 Maria Sakkari and unseeded Arantxa Rus. Raducanu has never played against Rus, but it is worth noting that she won her only previous match against the Sakkari 2021 title in New York.
Navarro, a 23-year-old from Charleston, South Carolina, needed just 59 minutes to topple Japan's Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion. In her first career appearance on Center Court, Navarro never faced a break point in the matchup.
Navarro, the 2021 NCAA champion from the University of Virginia, was outside the Top 50 a year ago but is currently ranked No. 17, the highest of her career. She has now reached the third round or better at all three Slams this year, peaking so far with the round of 16 at Roland Garros.
If Navarro wants to reach another Grand Slam round of 16, she will have to beat the red-hot Diana Shnaider in the third round. Shnaider, 20, outlasted 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-1 in just 49 minutes on Wednesday.
Shnaider has beaten Navarro twice this year, most recently last week in the semifinals in Bad Homburg. Shnaider won that grass event for her second title of the year, and is currently ranked 30th, the best of her career.
Navarro and Osaka had no problems on serve in the first six games of Wednesday's match, but at 3-3, Osaka committed four unforced errors in a row to give Navarro a break at love. At one point, Navarro scored 10 points in a row, although she had to hold off a two-game play to consolidate and take a 5-3 lead.
Osaka quickly regrouped on her serve, hitting a love serve to force Navarro to serve for the set. The American was up to the task, earning a set point with a strong smash and then converting that opportunity with a strong forehand, her ninth winner of the set.
A missed volley from Osaka gave Navarro a quick break point in the first game of the second set, and Navarro took advantage of her opportunity, executing a groundstroke to force an error from Osaka and take the early lead.
Navarro returned home from there, halting new mom Osaka's return to Wimbledon after a five-year absence. Navarro finished the match with 16 clean winners and only five unforced errors.
