Emma Raducanu earns straight-sets win over Marta Kostyuk in Washington
Playing her first singles match since stretching world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon, Raducanu held off the Ukrainian world number 27 to pull through a gruelling encounter 7-6 (4) 6-4.
Both players struggled on serve in a 71-minute opening set, trading early breaks before inevitably edging into a tie-break which Raducanu won despite initially sacrificing a 4-0 lead.
The British number three, who made a rare doubles appearance alongside Elena Rybakina earlier this week, looked the fresher of the pair in tough conditions and cemented her superiority by breaking en route to establishing a 3-0 lead in the second set.
Kostyuk, who arrived in Washington having lost five singles matches in a row stretching back to May, rallied just when all seemed lost, breaking Raducanu back as she clawed back to parity at 4-4.
Having forced Kostyuk to serve to stay in the match, the Ukrainian handed Raducanu two match points with a double fault, and the Briton seized her second chance to book her place in the second round.
'Extremely good win,' Raducanu said in her on-court interview. 'Playing Marta first round is extremely difficult and we've always had some tough matches.
'I'm happy with the way I fought through the first set and in the second, stayed tough when I needed to.'
Cameron Norrie completed a notable win over second seed and world number seven Lorenzo Musetti to book his place in the last 16.
Norrie, the world number 41, hit back from losing the opening set to triumph 3-6 6-2 6-3 and score his first win over a top 10-ranked player since reaching the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in 2023.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
2 minutes ago
- Reuters
Teen Mboko upsets Rybakina to book Canadian Open final with Osaka; Zverev falls
Aug 7 (Reuters) - Teenager Victoria Mboko survived a first-set wobble to battle to a 1-6 7-5 7-6(4) win over 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina and set up a Canadian Open showdown with Naomi Osaka, while men's top seed Alexander Zverev was stunned by Karen Khachanov. Mboko, ranked 85th in the world, saved a match point against Kazakh ninth seed Rybakina in front of adoring home support as the 18-year-old became the first Canadian to beat three former Grand Slam champions in a single WTA event in the Open Era. She has beaten Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff and Rybakina in her stunning run to the final in Montreal. She is also just the third wildcard to reach the final at the Canadian Open in the Open Era after Monica Seles in 1995 and Simona Halep in 2015. "I had everyone supporting me and pushing me through. Without you guys, I don't think I would've been able to pull this through," Mboko said after reaching her first WTA 1000 final. Meanwhile, four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka booked a place in a WTA 1000 final for the first time since Miami 2022 after another impressive display, beating Danish 16th seed Clara Tauson 6-2 7-6(7) in the second semi-final. The 27-year-old Osaka, a former world number one, is the first Japanese player in the Open Era to reach the final at the Canadian Open. In the men's tournament in Toronto, Zverev, a three-times Grand Slam runner-up, suffered a 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) loss against Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov in the semis. The 29-year-old Khachanov, who will climb to 12th in the world rankings, saved a match point to reach his second ATP Masters 1000 final, with the previous coming at Paris in 2018 where he upset Novak Djokovic. "I had to dig deep and lift my level. It was a very demanding, very mental, very physical match. So I'm very happy to get the win after losing some easy ones to him in recent years," Khachanov, who lost the last three encounters against Zverev, said after their near three-hour battle. "Today was a real close one. I was match point down, if the ball touches the net and drops over we wouldn't be talking now." Khachanov will face American fourth seed Ben Shelton, who upset second-seeded countryman Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-3 to become the youngest American to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final since Andy Roddick in Toronto in 2004, in the final. Australian Open semi-finalist Shelton, 22, will be playing his first ATP Masters 1000 final when he takes on Khachanov. "For me it's the level — 100%. I'm just looking for things in my game to just kind of improve and I've seen so many big improvements this week. So, that's what I'm most happy about — the way I'm playing, how I'm executing, how little I'm hesitating...," Shelton said.
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
Backlash as travel operator tells Everton fans 'get your steps in'
There has been backlash from Everton fans after they were told to "get their steps in" by a transport operator and walk about 30 minutes to the club's new ground. Merseytravel has suggested supporters could walk to the Hill Dickinson stadium on Saturday for the friendly against AS Roma from Moorfields station in Liverpool town fans are expected to use Sandhills train station, which is closer to the new ground, but the operator has warned it would be "extremely busy".The suggestion of walking from further out has been met with ridicule online, with some calling it "embarrassing" and a "shambles". The friendly, which kicks off at 15:00 BST, is the final test event at the new ground and will be the first time the 52,769-seater venue will be operating at near full test events at the ground left many fans concerned at the lack of public transport and a parking scheme in streets around the ground has also led to confusion and a post on X Merseytravel said: "Heading to the Everton v AS Roma double-header this weekend? "Everton Stadium is just 30 mins walk from Moorfields station – a great opportunity to get your steps in for the day and soak up the atmosphere for the big game!" 'Only in Liverpool' The suggestion was called into question by a number of people on social media, who described transport issues with the new stadium as a "shambles" and "embarrassing".One person said: "This is all well and good for young people and those who are able to walk long distances. What about those who struggle to walk long distances?"Another said: "Get your steps in as if you're doing us a favour."Others joked: "Just a mere seven-hour walk from nearby Southport railway station", and "A great opportunity to swim across the Mersey"."Only in Liverpool does the travel service tell you to walk," another Director at Merseyrail, Neil Grabham, said a "robust plan" was in place with extra services and staff across the network, adding "customers should expect the network to be very busy on Saturday"."Like train stations near other major football stadiums across the UK, Sandhills station will be extremely busy on matchdays," he said."Customers can help us, to help them, by planning ahead, allowing extra time for journeys, and considering alternative routes in case of unexpected disruption". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
Plans for padel courts at Sawley golf course submitted
Plans to build padel courts at a golf course in Sawley have been proposal, submitted by Trent Lock Golf and Country Club, would see four padel courts built close to the existing practice greens and car park in Lock - a blend of tennis and squash - is typically played in doubles format on a walled court that is smaller than a tennis court, often on Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said two of the padel courts would include a retractable roof to shield players from the elements. Artist impressions of the courts show a blue surface and mesh fencing along with a number of overhead lights.A report submitted to Erewash Borough Council with the application states the golf course is under new ownership and managers hope padel courts will bring in new customers, potentially from a broader said: "Padel, a fast-growing racket sport that combines elements of tennis and squash, has taken the world by storm, and its potential benefits for club membership, ancillary sporting activities, and the food and beverage arm of the business are significant."This exciting addition could create fresh opportunities for engagement, member retention, tourist attraction and crucial revenue generation across various facets of the club's operations."
