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Emma Raducanu's hopes of defending her title crashed on Tuesday after she fell to Alize Cornet in the first round of the 2022 US Open.
The French player defeated 11th seed Raducanu 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 42 minutes, pushing the 19-year-old into the list of notable upsets during the first two days of the Grand Slam tournament.
Last year, the Brit created history by becoming the only player in the Open Era to enter a Major championship as a qualifier and win it. Raducanu won 10 consecutive matches without dropping a single set to win the 2021 US Open at the age of 18. However, it remains her only singles title to date as she has spent the last 12 months fighting multiple injuries.
This was the first time that Raducanu and Cornet squared off against each other on the WTA tour. This is not the first time this year that the 40th-ranked Frenchwoman has caused an upset at a Grand Slam event. She has so far defeated Garbine Muguruza, Simona Halep, Jelena Ostapenko, and Iga Swiatek in the first three tournaments.
In a press conference after the match, Cornet praised Emma Raducanu and stated that she was trying to get the spectators on her side, which she thought worked out well.
"I think I played a pretty solid match," Cornet said. "I had to because Emma is a very good player. She didn't win a slam for nothing. I know how she can play. I was ready for tonight. This year I'm kind of the upset-girl. I know people were rooting for Emma a lot, but I was really trying to put on a show and take them with me. It kind of worked in the end. I just hope they're going to be behind me for the second round."
"I just have another chance to claw my way back up" - Emma Raducanu
After failing to defend her US Open title due to her loss to Alize Cornet in the first round, Emma Raducanu is set to lose a decent chunk of her ranking points and drop out of the top 75 next week. In a post-match press conference, the British No. 1 expressed her dejection, but also saw it as an opportunity to start from scratch.
“Obviously really disappointing, really sad to leave here,” Raducanu said. “It’s probably my favourite tournament. But also, in a way, happy because it’s a clean slate. I’m going to drop down the rankings and climb my way back up. I just have another chance to claw my way back up there. With perspective, actually as a 19-year-old, I’ve had not a bad year. To be top hundred, if you told me that a year ago, I’d take it.”
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule
