Article Author:
Reuters
Teenage up-and-comer Emma Radukhanu clashes with tennis icon Serena Williams in a 6-4, 6-0 first-round meeting at the Cincinnati Open on Tuesday. came out on the winning side. After a sluggish start, the 23-time Grand Slam champion finally to a sold-out crowd of supporters when she smashed back-to-back aces to cut Radukhanu's lead to her 4-3. I cheered.
However, Great Britain's reigning US Open champion took the first set with his own ace on serve, followed by his break to start the second set.
Radukanu rolled from there, hitting an unreturnable serve on her match point, ending her first career meeting.
"I think we all need to pay tribute to Serena and her amazing career," Radukhanu said in an on-court interview. I am so grateful for the experience and the intersection of our careers. Everything she has achieved has been so inspiring and it was such an honor to share the court with her." 28}
Williams, 40, was world number one and had already won four major titles when Radukhanu was born in November 2002. was present.
With this loss, Williams has just one more professional tournament left before her historic career comes to an end. The US Open starts on August 29th.
Out Osaka
Earlier in the day, Naomi Osaka's US Open preparations saw China's Zhang Shuai push off with her 6-4 7-5, Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka retreats again.
It's her third tournament return from an Achilles injury, and her two-time U.S. Open champion, who retired with back pain after losing the season opener in Toronto last week. For me, it was a stuttering return.
It was her first singles win since 2014 for Chan, who was the doubles champion last year in Cincinnati.
I feel good today," Zhang said. "But it's definitely not her best today." In her first game on the court at center, Japan's Osaka broke in on her serve in the opening to Zhang for a double fault. giving the contest off to a sluggish start.
Chang needed when Zhang took the first set against her 33-year-old Chinese player and quickly gained the upper hand with his break early in the second set. That was all the help I got. Osaka's misfire continues, leading 2-1.
Osaka eventually secured an elusive break to level the set as Zhang served the match at his 5-4, but his opponent quickly broke back. to regain control.
On his second serve, Zhang did not miss another chance and won with an ace.
Osaka hit her 10 aces, but otherwise didn't do much. The four-time Grand Slam winner racked up her 29 unforced errors and four breaks she scored just one of her chances.
Chan next faces Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia. Ekaterina Alexandrova missed the finals at last year's US Open by defeating No. 13-seeded Canadian Leila Fernandez with her 6-4, 7-5 win.
Gauff injured, Venus Falls
His teen Coco Gauff of the United States suffered a left ankle injury late in the first set against qualifier Marie Buzkova. and trailing by 7-5 1-0 who eventually retired from the game.
The new world number one in doubles is recovering ahead of the US Open, where she will be fighting for her first Grand Slam title.
Flushing her major at Meadows this year begins on her August 29th.
Romania's Sorana Cirstea beat Swiss Olympic champion and 12th seed Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-7 (3) 6-4 as she finished 14th. Seeded Karolina Pliskova defeated Venus Williams 7-5, 6-1.
Venus Williams had been looking to win a top 20 opponent since beating Kiki her Bartens in Cincinnati three years ago, but breaking Pliskova put her at 3-0. A half-filled center excited her court when she led by two.
However, the Czechs returned to tie at her 4-4 and broke again to win the first set.
The 42-year-old Williams ran out of energy and ideas in a lopsided second set, as Pliskova beat her 7-time Grand Slam winner to her 3-0 lead on the way to her victory. broke at the first opportunity of
Williams kept his serve 3-1, but 2016 Cincinnati her champion Pliskova dominated her next three games and won the rout. (Reporting by Steve Keating of Toronto and Rory Carroll of Los Angeles; Editing by Ken Ferris&Sri Navaratnam)
