Williams was broken in the first game of the match by 19-year-old Raducanu, who quickly dominated and went on to win 6-4, 6-0.
Emma Raducanu fends off Serena Williams to enter R2 of Cincinnati Masters (Picture Credits - Twitter)
In a highly anticipated opening-round match at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday, Emma Raducanu triumphed over American legend Serena Williams.
Williams was broken in the first game of the match by 19-year-old Raducanu, who quickly dominated and went on to win 6-4, 6-0. Williams, a 23-time major champion, was playing in just her fourth match of the year when she made the announcement that she would retire from tennis after the US Open.
The 40-year-old had trouble getting into a rhythm. The 19-year-old Raducanu played flawless tennis the entire game. Williams made 12 unforced errors in addition to 11 wins while Raducanu made just one.
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With a set advantage, the British player sprinted ahead in the second set to earn her 12th victory of the year while committing no unforced errors to win the match. In the second round, she will compete against former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.
“I think we all need to just honour Serena and her amazing career. I’m so grateful for the experience of being able to play her and for our careers to cross over. Everything that she’s achieved is so inspirational and it was a true honour to share the court with her,” Raducanu told the crowd after the match.
(Inputs from ANI)
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