Emma Raducanu came out on the winning side of a generational clash against tennis icon Serena Williams with a 6-4 6-0 win in their first-round meeting at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Teenager Raducanu, who has not won a tournament since capturing last year’s title at Flushing Meadows as a 150th-ranked qualifier, put in a dominant display against Williams, wrapping up a 6-4 6-0 win in just over an hour.
American Williams announced her forthcoming retirement last week, saying that she was “evolving away from tennis”, before suffering an early exit at the Canadian Open, while Raducanu described being drawn against Williams as a “gift”.
Raducanu will begin her US Open title defence later this month
“The chances to play her may be one of the last opportunities I get to play her,” Raducanu said….
