Emma Raducanu returns to action with Madrid Open win over Suzan Lamens
Emma Raducanu opened her Madrid Open campaign with a gritty victory against a quality, in-form opponent, holding off Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands 7-6 (4), 6-4 to reach the second round.Over the past three-and-a-half years, as Raducanu has tried to navigate the pressure, stress and discomfort that accompanied her spectacular arrival, there have been times where it seemed like she might find her way.Those hopeful moments were usually fleeting, with a series of tough losses, injuries or a self-sabotaging decision always around the corner.Here she is again, after reaching the quarter-finals in Miami, her most impressive performance since her US Open triumph, trying to maintain her good form and properly establish herself at the highest levels of the sport.Although the 22-year-old struggled to find her best level for any sustained period against a quality opponent, this performance was a reflection of her resilience and adaptability as she found a way through her first clay-court match of the season.
A greater test awaits in round two against Marta Kostyuk, the 24th seed,“It’s for sure different stepping into the competition, especially on clay,I haven’t played many matches on this surface, so it does feel a little foreign to me,” said Raducanu,“I’m happy with how I kind of worked my way into the match,I played an opponent in great form who has won a lot of matches on clay so I knew I had to play really well to win.
I don’t think I played my best level but I think I competed really well.”Most players are already knee-deep in their clay-court season, but Raducanu opted for a different path.Following a hectic start that culminated in her run to the last eight of the Miami Open, the former British No 1 decided to take a brief pause.Instead of competing in the Billie Jean King Cup or in Rouen, she embarked on a 10-day training block in Los Angeles.She was joined in California by Mark Petchey, her locum coach in Miami, who again took his seat in her player box on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in the Caja Mágica and shouted encouragement at his charge throughout.
Raducanu entered the court as the higher-ranked player – No 49 v No 73 – but Lamens is a good clay-court player who has steadily risen up the rankings over the past year after winning her first title.She followed up her dismantling of Katie Boulter in the BJK Cup by reaching the semi-finals in Rouen last week.A quick, durable athlete armed with a potent topspin forehand she uses to move opponents around, Lamens’ excellent rally tolerance makes her particularly dangerous on clay.She was flawless early on, her forehand particularly on fire as she lasered winners from all parts of the court.Sign up to The RecapThe best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s actionafter newsletter promotionUnder pressure and not always able to find her best rhythm in rapid conditions due to Madrid’s high altitude, Raducanu was forced to react and find a way through and she did so by drawing on her full arsenal of shots.
At times, the Briton was able to counter Lamens’ offence with her own; she faced three break points on her serve at 4-4, to which she responded with a series of searing forehands,Other times, however, she simply relied on her durability,Towards the end of the set, however, as Lamens continued to pulverise her forehand, Raducanu opted to loop balls high and outlast her opponent,Alongside her composure and resolve, the 2021 US Open champion found Lamens’ backhand more often in the tie-break, which deteriorated under pressure,Rather than the tight first set liberating Raducanu, she immediately found herself down a break in set two.
Nothing came easily.Although she was able to better find her range, she closed out the match through her mental toughness, standing firm in the final games for a quality win.
Ofcom closes technical loophole used by criminals to intercept mobile calls and texts
The UK communications regulator Ofcom is banning mobile operators from leasing numbers that can be used by criminals to intercept and divert calls and messages, including security codes sent by banks to customers.Ofcom said it would stop the leasing of “global titles”, special types of phone numbers used by mobile networks to support services to make sure messages and calls reach the intended recipient.The regulator said until now global titles, which are used in the background of billions of calls and messages sent worldwide, could be leased out to third parties, providing a technical loophole whereby criminals could get hold of and intercept messages.Natalie Black, the director for networks and communications at Ofcom, said: “We are taking world-leading action to tackle the threat posed by criminals gaining access to mobile networks. Leased global titles are one of the most significant and persistent sources of malicious signalling
The US government is coming for Google and Meta – but what will happen next?
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. This week, Google and Meta take legal beatings while Microsoft faces a “tipping point” over Gaza.Google suffered another defeat last week in its clash with the Department of Justice, which has now won two separate cases arguing the company’s rise to power was aided by illegal and anticompetitive practices. The legal battles have placed the tech giant at the center of the government’s most significant antitrust action in decades, and left one of the world’s most valuable companies facing an uncertain future.A US federal judge in Virginia ruled on Thursday that Google had illegally built a monopoly over the online advertising industry, marking the company’s second major loss in an antitrust case in less than a year
Tech overload for teachers and parents | Letter
I am a parent of two and I teach at a university. I read Dr Robert Harrison’s letter (14 April) with scepticism. He writes eloquently of students using technology in “healthy, purposeful, and life-enhancing” ways. This sounds lovely, but very far from the reality that we are living.My five-year-old’s school has furnished parents with no fewer than five technology platforms where we interact with the school; this does not include the many parent WhatsApp groups
Drones could deliver NHS supplies under UK regulation changes
Drones could be used for NHS-related missions in remote areas, inspecting offshore wind turbines and supplying oil rigs by 2026 as part of a new regulatory regime in the UK.David Willetts, the head of a new government unit helping to deploy new technologies in Britain, said there were obvious situations where drones could be used if the changes go ahead next year.Ministers announced plans this month to allow drones to fly long distances without their operators seeing them. Drones cannot be flown “beyond visual line of sight” under current regulations, making their use for lengthy journeys impossible.In an interview with the Guardian, Lord Willetts, chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), said the changes could come as soon as 2026, but that they would apply in “atypical” aviation environments at first, which would mean remote areas and over open water
Australians pay $84 a month for their internet. Why so expensive, and what can be done to lower the cost?
Australians are paying an average of $84 per month for internet access on the NBN – and in a cost-of-living crisis, questions are being raised about why cheaper internet is not available for people on lower incomes.What could be done to lower NBN pricing plans, and can we learn from overseas?According to the latest report, about 8.6m of the 12.5m premises able to connect to the NBN are now using the service in Australia.Consumer advocacy group Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (Accan’s) latest survey conducted by Essential, of 1,065 people, found Australians are paying $84 per month on average for their home internet connection, with 31% paying between $81 and $100, 30% paying between $61 and $80, 20% paying over $100, and just 13% paying $60 or under (with the rest unsure)
Views of TikTok posts with electronic music outgrow those using indie
It is another example of the parallel worlds in the music industry. The Gallagher brothers may be taking over the world’s stadiums this summer, but over on TikTok users are moving to a different beat.Views of posts using electronic music as a soundtrack, including techno and house, outgrew those tagged for indie and alternative for the first time in 2024, according to the social media app.There were more than 13bn views of videos tagged #ElectronicMusic worldwide last year, an increase of 45% on 2023, representing faster growth than the “indie and alternative” and “rap and hip-hop” genres. Videos created with the electronic music tag grew by more than 100% over the same period
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