Emma Raducanu beat Serena Williams in straight sets at Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati | Tennis News
Emma Raducanu came out as the winner of the intergenerational clash with tennis icon Serena Williams with a 6-4 6-0 win in their first meeting at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Teenager Raducanu, who hasn’t won a tournament since winning last year’s championship at Flushing Meadows in the 150th qualifying round, put in a dominant performance against Williams, ending a 6-4 win. 6-0 in just over an hour.
American Williams announced her retirement last week, saying she was “growing out of tennis”, before being eliminated early at the Canadian Open, while Raducanu described holding a draw with Williams as a “gift” “.
Raducanu will start defending his US Open title later this month
“The chance to play her might be one of the last I get to play her,” Raducanu said. “You have to cherish this moment, and you will have it for the rest of your career.”
While Raducanu says opponents have always held high standards at this level, beating Williams requires something special.
“Playing Serena and trying to win, I’m obviously really proud of myself and that gives me confidence. [ahead of the US Open]”, she told reporters.
Williams struggled to find stability in just her fourth game of the season
“Every win builds your confidence no matter what level you’re playing, every win counts. But of course, this win is more than that, because you’re playing like a human. the best. But I’m not trying to get too high or too low right now.”
Raducanu next faces another Grand Slam winner, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, and the 19-year-old Briton says it’s another chance for her to learn from “a great champion”.
“I remember more recently when she was playing at the US Open and getting to the 2020 final. I was studying for my exams,” she added. “I haven’t played tennis in months, and I just dream that one day I’ll get to play on the Ashe courts, and one day I’ll be at that level and play against the greats myself. Everything feels so far away.
“Obviously with last year I’ve had, a lot of exposure to these great players, and every time you play with them you learn from them and what they do really well helps. them in their careers.”
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