DC Open: Emma Raducanu dominates Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams defeated in pre-quarters
Raducanu admitted she was surprised by how comfortably she came through the match, having prepared herself for a much tougher battle against Osaka."I thought it was going to be a really difficult match. Naomi's won four Slams, she's been world number one, won Masters," Raducanu said, as quoted by Sky Sports. "She's so dangerous, and on hard courts, I think she's particularly comfortable."Raducanu said she was pleased with how she handled her service games and adapted to Osaka's pace as the match progressed."I knew I was going to have to play well and manage my own service games, which I'm really proud of how I did. I was making some inroads in her service game after I got used to it a little bit. I'm really pleased with how I handled the ball speed and conditions here in DC."VENUS WILLIAMS' DREAM RETURN ENDSMeanwhile, Venus Williams' comeback campaign in Washington ended with a 6-2, 6-2 loss to Poland's Magdalena Frech in the second round. The 45-year-old had made a promising start to the match but Frech reeled off seven straight games to take control and seal the win.Despite the defeat, Williams was in good spirits and happy to be back on court after a long injury layoff."Oh, I had so much fun. Definitely not the result I wanted, but still a learning experience," Williams said. "The part about sport — and life — is that you never stop learning."She added, 'The fans in D.C. are just epic. I couldn't have been happier with my first week back.'- Ends
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
42 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Naomi Osaka splits with coach Patrick Mouratoglou
Naomi Osaka and coach Patrick Mouratoglou are done working together after less than a year, the four-time Grand Slam champion announced Sunday on social media. 'Merci Patrick,' Osaka began her post, with a photo of her hitting a practice serve while he stands nearby. 'It was such a great experience learning from you. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I've ever met, and I'm sure I'll see you around.' ALSO READ: De Minaur saves three match points against Davidovich Fokina to lift Washington Open title The news comes three days after Osaka lost her second match at the D.C. Open and just before she begins competing in Toronto. The U.S. Open, the year's last major tournament and an event Osaka won twice, begins in New York on Aug. 24. Osaka hired Mouratoglou — who was the longtime coach of Serena Williams — when she fired Wim Fissette shortly after her second-round exit at last year's U.S. Open. Osaka, a former No. 1, is currently ranked 51st and has a 21-11 record this season. She hasn't been past the third round at a Grand Slam tournament since winning the 2021 Australian Open.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
'A Weekend To Forget But...': Lewis Hamilton Leaves Spa-Francorchamps On High
Last Updated: Lewis Hamilton finished seventh at Belgian Grand Prix after starting from pit lane and praised team's strategy and pit stop execution. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has said that although the Belgian Grand Prix weekend was one to forget, he would take a lot of positives from the Ferrari on Sunday, July 27, when he finished a creditable seventh after starting way below in the race. Four drivers began from the pit lane, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Antonelli and Hamilton, having made changes to their power units or set-up overnight. They started at the rear of the field ahead of the rolling start at the start of lap 5 but that was a big strategic call that bore fruit. Alex Albon clung on to finish sixth for Williams ahead of chasing Hamilton of Ferrari, who began from the pit lane and Racing Bulls' rookie Liam Lawson. 'Today's race was a positive step forward. The strategy and pit stop were executed perfectly and the overnight changes we made to the setup allowed me to get the most out of the car," Hamilton said while speaking to Formula One's website. 'I felt much more comfortable behind the wheel and I'm pleased with how everything came together," Hamilton added. On lap 12, Hamilton was the first in for medium slick tyres, rejoining 18th, followed by Oscar Piastri, Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Andre Russell and more. Lando Norris stayed out one lap longer for hards, hoping to profit if his rival's rubber degraded in the closing laps. The only pit stop, executed in just 2.2 seconds, was one of the fastest of the day. By lap 15, everyone else had switched to mediums and it was Piastri on top ahead of Norris by 9.3 with Leclerc third, leading Verstappen, Russell, Albon and in flying form, Hamilton. Piastri went on to win the race, with Norris second and Leclerc third. World champion Verstappen finished fourth. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
Hussain, Atherton and Manjrekar tear into Stokes for farcical antics at end of Manchester Test: 'He behaved like a spoiled kid'
Ben Stokes' farcical antics at end of Manchester Test against India on Sunday was called out by Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton and Sanjay Manjrekar as the England captain was accused of behaving like a 'spoiled kid'. read more Ben Stokes is facing criticism from all corners for his antics towards the end of fourth Test between India and England at Manchester. Images: Reuters/Sanjay Manjrekar on X England captain Ben Stokes is facing criticism from former cricketers, including Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton and former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, for his antics towards the end of the fourth India-England Test at Manchester on Sunday. England would have hoped to steamroll India and canter to a series win on Day 5, but a dogged Shubman Gill, who scored 103, and a gritty partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who both scored hundreds and put up an unbeaten 203 runs for the fifth wicket stand, crushed England's dreams. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With India on 386/4 and a draw looking imminent, Stokes offered handshakes to Jadeja and Washington as he wanted an early end to Day 5, but the Indian batters, who were very close to their respective centuries, including a first one for Sundar, refused to take the offer. This enraged Stokes, who even questioned Jadeja if he wanted to get to his hundred against a part-time bowler like Harry Brook. Also Read | Ben Stokes reveals reasoning behind early handshake offer to Jadeja and Sundar Jadeja was on 89 not out when the incident happened, while Sundar was on an unbeaten 80. Nonetheless, the match continued after Indian batters refused to settle for a draw and quickly went on to complete their centuries before finally shaking hands with the England players. Hussain, Atherton slam Stokes' antics on Day 5 of Manchester Test Former captain Hussain was one of the prominent names from the England cricket fraternity who criticised Stokes for his antics towards the end of Day 5 after India initially refused to take a draw. He disapproved of bringing in Brook to bowl and defended the Indian batters' desire to reach their hundreds. 'I didn't have a problem with it. I mean, I know England seemed to have a problem with it,' Nasser Hussain said on Sky Sports. 'They're a little bit tired — tired bowlers, tired legs — they wanted to get off. The two lads had worked hard to get into the 80s and 90s; they wanted Test match hundreds. 'Stokes didn't have to bowl Brook, and it looked a bit silly at the end there, but we make far too much of these things. They played well, they deserved a draw, they deserved to be there at the end. Watch the incident here: STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'All credit to India. It's only England's second-ever draw under this Bazball regime — the other one on this ground as well, because of rain. This one was a draw simply because England couldn't roll over the two left-handers, who were brilliant.' Also Read | From Eden Gardens 2001 to Old Trafford 1990, revisiting India's greatest rescue acts in Test cricket Former England captain Atherton, in his column in The Times, called the finish a 'farce' while labelling the draw result as a victory for India. The headline of his column read: 'India escape with draw that will feel like a victory as Test ends in farce.' 'With the final match beginning on Thursday, this result will feel more like a victory for India, because not only did they escape with a draw entirely through their own merits, they forced England's bowlers to endure two hard days in the field,' Atherton wrote. Manjrekar accuses Stokes of behaving like a 'spoiled kid' Former Indian cricketer Manjrekar accused Stokes of behaving like a spoiled kid for showing frustration over the game not being closed at his will. 'In the end, what we saw was actually the frustration of a team that is used to dominating at home. Very rarely has there been a draw – it has happened twice in the Bazball era. And you've got to say that it was the first time that Ben Stokes had to change his principle of winning the toss and batting first was against India, and this draw without a weather intervention has come against India. India have done a lot of things that have put Ben Stokes off, and the kind of style and leadership that he has,' Manjrekar said on JioStar after the match. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | Steely determination of Indian batting lineup runs England ragged at Old Trafford, keeps Test series alive 'In the end, what you saw was Ben Stokes frustrated, not used to the kind of result. And finally, I will say this. He was a bit of a spoiled sport and behaved like a spoiled kid. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar had batted for hours, and getting this close to a hundred, there was no way they were going to accept. Ben Stokes will rue what he has done. But it tells you exactly how frustrated England are, and all this is only because of the kind of fight this new-age Indian batting has put up.'
