Emma Raducanu: British tennis star beats Peyton Stearns at Washington Open

Emma Raducanu overcame the distraction of a two-hour rain delay as she reached the Washington Open quarter-finals with victory over American Peyton Stearns.

Raducanu, who turned down the chance to play for Great Britain at the Olympics, defeated Stearns, ranked 51 in the world, 7-6 (8-6) 6-2.

Heavy rain started falling as Raducanu served to secure the opening set. After a delay, she clinched the set in a tie-break.

“It’s tricky today, when you get rained off at such a big moment like that. It can affect the dynamics of the match,” said Raducanu.

She will face the winner of the match between wildcard Paula Badosa and third seed Liudmila Samsonova.

Raducanu thanked the crowd for their patience during Wednesday’s late-night match.

“I knew it was going to be a tough match against Peyton, especially [with Stearns] playing at home,” she added. “It’s been a good run for me in the last few months, I think I’m building some momentum.”

The world number 89, who is still managing her comeback after wrist and ankle surgery, turned down the invitation to play at the Olympics because she did not want to switch back to playing on clay at Roland Garros. She is instead prioritising hard courts ahead of the forthcoming US Open – the tournament she won in 2021 as a qualifier.