Emma Raducanu , the smiling assassin, had just obliterated her opponent at the US Open — and that presented a dilemma for Tim Henman.
The former GB No 1, one of the few Brits to have made it over here through his work for Amazon, had looked on as Raducanu made Monday's last 16 for the loss of just one game.
Knowing a bit about being burdened with expectation, Henman recognises the dangers of over-reacting to a few startling performances.
Emma Raducanu continues her US Open journey on Monday at the last-16 stage
The British teenager demolished Sara Torribes Tormo to move into the second week
‘I’m reluctant to contribute to people getting carried away but the truth is it was phenomenal,’ he admitted after wandering back in from Court 17. ‘I couldn’t have been more impressed.’
Raducanu’s reward for demolishing Sara Torribes Tormo is a match on Monday against world No 43 Shelby Rogers for a place in the quarter-final.
She had been due to face world No 1 Ash Barty, but on Saturday night the 28-year-old from South Carolina shocked the Australian by coming from behind to beat her in a deciding set.
As at Wimbledon, that presents the Kent 18-year-old with a beatable opponent and the question will be how she reacts.
Raducanu now faces world No 43 Shelby Rogers, who is another beatable player for the Brit
The pressure will be greater than had she played a somewhat weary Barty, who was showings the signs of the marathon road trip that has seen her away from home since March.
Not that Rogers is exactly playing without scrutiny at her home Grand Slam. The ninthranked player in her country, she is the last American remaining in a women’s draw that was originally full of them.
She will be up against the shock of the new in Raducanu, who is entering territory very rarely plotted in women’s tennis.
While age makes pure comparisons difficult, reaching the fourth round in your first two Grand Slams is something confined to the very few.
Rogers (right), however, knocked out Wimbledon champion Ash Barty (left) on Saturday
In modern times, for example, both Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles made the last 16 and the semifinal of their first two majors.
Their tennis upbringings
