Raducanu sweeps past Stephens at Eastbourne

Emma Raducanu continued her Wimbledon preparations with an assured victory over fellow former Grand Slam champion Sloane Stephens at Eastbourne.

The 21-year-old Briton said on Monday she had "rekindled" her love of tennis.

And that was evident as she claimed an emphatic second-set bagel to wrap up a 6-4 6-0 win in front of a packed centre court.

"It was a very close set and I was down quite a bit the whole way through," Raducanu said.

"It took a lot to hit through her but I managed to figure it out in the second set."

She will now play world number five Jessica Pegula, who is fresh from winning her fifth WTA Tour title at the Berlin Open on Sunday.

Raducanu has been criticised in recent weeks for opting to skip the French Open and deciding not to play for Great Britain at this summer's Olympics in Paris.

The former British number one said she was prioritising the home grass-court season and building up to full fitness after an injury-plagued 2023.

It is a move that seems, so far, to be paying off for Raducanu, who reached the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open earlier this month.

Neither player could take control in the opening stages, with the pair exchanging breaks before Raducanu struck the decisive blow at 5-4 - much to the delight of the British crowd.

The 2021 US Open champion's momentum grew from there, breaking Stephens' at the first opportunity in the second set.

And there was no looking back for Raducanu as Stephens, the US Open champion in 2017, crumbled and won just one point on her opponent's serve from then on.

There was a huge roar as Raducanu broke Stephens' serve for the sixth and final time to triumph after one hour and 17 minutes.