Cincinnati (US): Less than 24 hours after scoring a first-round win against 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams, Raducanu was back on court to face another former World No.1 in Victoria Azarenka, and was similarly dominant. She dropped just two games in a 6-0, 6-2 win that lasted just 62 minutes to reach Round 3.
Raducanu ousts Serena in opening round in Cincinnati
Azarenka has never been double bageled in her professional career, and she avoided the threat after losing the first 10 games. Azarenka hadn’t lost a single bagel set in 2022, in fact, having last been bageled by Ashleigh Barty in a 6-0, 6-2 defeat last year in Cincinnati.
The win over World No.22 Azarenka is Raducanu’s first over a Top 30 player since she won the US Open last summer.
After winning the last seven games against Williams on Tuesday night, Raducanu’s blistering form continued early against another major-winner in Azarenka. In less than 30 minutes, she served up her second straight bagel set of the tournament; two of her three service games, though, stretched past deuce. At 1-0, she saved the only break point she faced in the first set.
Azarenka had a game point on serve in the first game of the second set before Raducanu won 11 straight points. The Brit surrendered just two points in her first three service games of the second set, but later dug out from 15-40 to win the match.
Raducanu hit 18 winners to Azarenka’s 10, went 5-for-6 on break points, and hit five aces.
Raducanu will next face U.S. No. 1 Jessica Pegula, the No.7 seed and World No.8, who had a much different path through to Round 3.
After dropping the first set against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in a tiebreak, Pegula cruised to make a comeback, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2.
–IANS
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