Last year she was kicked off a practice court in a New York park; now her Cincinnati run has hinted at a return of that carefree youngster
n hour into Emma Raducanu’s startling third-round match at the US Open last year, she still, somehow, had not lost a single game. In the second grand slam event of her career, the 18-year-old had lined up against the eternally steady Sara Sorribes Tormo, a match-up that seemed destined to push Raducanu to her limits. Instead, the youngster tore her apart. Raducanu led 6-0, 5-0 with a match point on her opponent’s serve, then a game later, served out the win over her top 50-ranked opponent.
Iain Bates, the LTA’s head of women’s tennis, was part of Raducanu’s team in New York and has frequently worked with her in the year since. He says: “I felt at the start, her coming from [the event in] Chicago, if she came from [qualifying] that would be at least a way of keeping momentum and showing where her level is that she can come through the qualifiers at a slam.”Serena Williams will play doubles with her sister, Venus, at the US Open after the pair were awarded a wild card.
The small breaks all seemed to fall Raducanu’s way, the type of luck essential for any surprise slam run. She was given a late Wednesday start for her first qualifying round, an extra day to adjust after her travels. After qualifying, she was drawn against Jennifer Brady, the 13th seed and beaten Australian Open finalist. But Brady withdrew because of injury, leaving the British player with a first round against the lucky loser Stefanie Vögele, which she won dropping just five games.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
KISS turn it up to 11 one last timeThe rock gods claim this is their last tour: if that is true then they are going out with a bang, and then some.
Read more »
Last laugh for funny pages as News Corp's comic strip cull catches artists by surpriseThe tradition of leafing through a newspaper to get to the comic strips is about to become a thing of the past for News Corp Australia's readers.
Read more »
Amazon activists mourn death of ‘man of the hole’, last of his tribeMan resisted all attempts to contact him, laying traps and firing arrows at anyone who came too close
Read more »
Lomax is hammered then nails last-minute sideline shot to down TigersStaring down a 16-6 half-time deficit after two sin-binnings against the last-placed Tigers, St George Illawarra clawed their way back to 22-all as golden point loomed in a topsy-turvy contest | SMHsport
Read more »
Nick Kyrgios in form of his life and under intense scrutiny at US Open | Emma KempThe Australian’s searing form this year has only intensified the spotlight on him before the New York grand slam
Read more »