Raducanu beats Stephens- Aus Open 2022: US Open champion Emma Raducanu sent Sloane Stephens packing with a 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 three-set battle on Tuesday to progress to the 2nd round. For more sports news and Australian Open updates, follow us at InsideSport.IN
After winning the first set, blanking Sloane Stephens 6-0, the American bounced back. With Raducanu struggling, she took the set 6-2. However, Emma Raducanu recovered from her double-fault menace and came back strongly in the 3rd set, winning 6-1.
Raducanu beats Stephens: US Open champ Emma Raducanu knocks out Sloane Stephens with 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 victory
Raducanu, who rocketed to fame in September with a fairytale run to the U.S. Open title as a qualifier without dropping a set in what was only her fourth senior tournament, raced through the opening set in 17 minutes, leaking only four points.
A Melbourne moment to remember ✨
🇬🇧 @EmmaRaducanu opens her account at the #AusOpen with a first round victory over Sloane Stephens, 6-0 2-6 6-1.
🎥: @wwos • @espn • @Eurosport • @wowowtennis #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/UeUbmdRy18
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2022
But former world number three and 2017 U.S. Open champion Stephens finally found her rhythm and range to take charge of the second set from 2-2, reeling off four games as errors began creeping into 17th seed Raducanu’s game.
Raducanu beats Stephens: US Open champ Emma Raducanu knocks out Sloane Stephens with 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 victory
It looked ominous at that point for the 19-year-old Raducanu whose build-up to her Australian Open debut had hardly been ideal, having had COVID-19 and suffering a heavy defeat in her opening match in Sydney.
But she showed the same coolness under pressure that swept her to the title in New York, settling down and finding another gear to dominate the decider with some precision baseline hitting as the Stephens game unravelled again.
Raducanu beats Stephens: US Open champ Emma Raducanu knocks out Sloane Stephens with 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 victory
Stephens avoided another rout as she held serve at 0-5 but there was not to be another twist on a sparsely-populated Margaret Court as Raducanu closed out the win on serve despite a sixth double-fault on her first match point.
It was an encouraging start for Raducanu despite the second-set wobble and she will be heavily fancied to get past 99th ranked Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in the second round.
Raducanu beats Stephens: US Open champ Emma Raducanu knocks out Sloane Stephens with 6-0, 2-6, 6-1 victory
