US Open 2022: Defending champion Emma Raducanu CRASHES OUT in first spherical after loss to Alize Cornet, WATCH | Tennis Information
Possibly Emma Raducanu was merely making an attempt to decrease others’ expectations or make issues simpler on herself when she scoffed at the concept there would possibly by any strain on her as she returned to the positioning of her exceptional out-of-nowhere run to the 2021 US Open championship. Certain sounded so when she declared, shortly earlier than the beginning of play at Flushing Meadows: “I feel defending a title is simply one thing that the press makes up.”
Both method, her follow-up journey to New York didn’t final lengthy. Raducanu grew to become simply the third lady within the skilled period to lose within the first spherical one 12 months after profitable the US Open title, bowing out 6-3, 6-3 in opposition to Alizé Cornet on Tuesday (August 30) evening. “I am sorry, guys. I do know you actually like Emma,” Cornet informed the gang at Louis Armstrong Stadium. “She’s a fantastic participant and a fantastic individual.”
The opposite defending champions — if you happen to imagine in such constructs — who went residence this rapidly on the American Grand Slam event have been Svetlana Kuznetsova, who received it in 2004, and Angelique Kerber, who received it in 2016 (and misplaced within the first spherical in 2017 to Naomi Osaka, who had but to win any of her 4 main trophies).
.@alizecornet is victorious in Armstrong!
She defeats Raducanu, 6-3, 6-3 to advance to Spherical 2. pic.twitter.com/RHAd0zCBxv
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 31, 2022
Raducanu handled blisters on her racket-holding proper hand and took a medical timeout after the primary set for remedy from a coach. She additionally was merely outplayed by Cornet, a 32-year-old from France who ended No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek’s 37-match profitable streak at Wimbledon.
A 12 months in the past, at age 18, Raducanu arrived at Flushing Meadows ranked one hundred and fiftieth to take part in solely the second main event of her nascent profession. She wound up making it by way of qualifying and profitable 10 matches in a row en path to turning into the primary qualifier to win a Grand Slam title, defeating one other unseeded teen, Leylah Fernandez, within the closing.
Since then, Raducanu has gone 15-19, together with second-round losses at every of the primary three majors of 2022. She was seeded eleventh on the US Open.
Cornet is ranked fortieth and enjoying in her record-setting 63rd consecutive Grand Slam occasion. She’s solely reached the quarterfinals at certainly one of them — this 12 months’s Australian Open. However she additionally owns six victories over opponents ranked within the high 20 this season.
“I’m dealing with my feelings higher,” stated Cornet, who truly was angered when the Armstrong roof was closed in the course of the course of play early within the second set. “I assume I’m getting previous. I’m getting mature. It’s good as a result of I’m 32. I assume it’s higher late than by no means.”
(with PTI inputs)
