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Bianca Andreescu got the better of Emma Raducanu in a battle of the US Open champions in the first round of the Italian Open on Tuesday.
At Flushing Meadows, both displayed their prowess as teenagers and prevailed over the rest of the field in their respective tournament debuts. But measured against each other, it was the 2019 champion who bested the 2021 titlist, although Raducanu had to retire from their first ever encounter due to injury.
Bianca Andreescu vs Emma Raducanu Score
Andreescu led 6-2, 2-1 before the Brit retired due to injury, allowing the Canadian to advance to the second round.
The reigning US Open champion was unable to finish the match due to a back injury she has been nursing since last week's Madrid Open.
Bianca Andreescu vs Emma Raducanu winner
Andreescu edged Raducanu in their first meeting. The Canadian, who is of Romanian heritage like Raducanu (Andreescu's father and mother are Romanian, as is Raducanu's father), improved her win-loss record to 4-2 in just her third tournament this season. She took a break for the first three months of the year to prioritize her mental health.
Raducanu, playing in her first claycourt season and in just her fourth tournament on the surface, has dropped to 9-7 so far this season.
Bianca Andreescu vs Emma Raducanu recap
Bianca Andreescu started strong and was returning brilliantly as Emma Raducanu got in trouble early. She faced three break points and battled through five deuces in her opening service game before sealing it with some strong serves.
In contrast, Andreescu breezed through hers, holding at love, before breaking the Brit in the next game on her fourth attempt. Raducanu went 0-40 down but erased all three breakpoints before faltering with a netted forehand and a double fault.
The 2021 US Open winner finally made inroads into Andreescu's service game, winning her first three return points to force deuce. But she was quickly repelled by the Canadian, who fired a forehand down-the-line winner and an unreturnable serve to hold for 3-1.
Andreescu broke once more while holding Raducanu to just a point in the fifth game to consolidate her lead at 4-1. Raducanu had to thwart another Andreescu charge in the seventh game as the 2019 US Open champ arrived at deuce. But the 19-year-old Brit held on as she forced the Canadian to move side-to-side to before launching a forehand winner.
The match was briefly halted as Raducanu received off-court treatment for her back, an injury she has been nursing since Madrid last week. However, that did not distract Andreescu, who closed out the set 6-2.
Andreescu bamboozled Raducanu with her return game in the first set, winning 51 percent of her return points compared to the Brit's 19. Just like in the first set, Raducanu fended off an Andreescu charge and got on the scoreboard.
The 21-year-old Canadian comfortably held once again before converting her second break point as Raducanu sent her backhand long. Raducanu retired thereafter due to a back injury.
Andreescu fired 25 winners to Raducanu's nine. She limited her unforced errors to five while her opponent committed four more.
Andreescu won 21 of 25 points on serve, while Raducanu contested 59 points on hers, winning just 49 percent of those. Andreescu faces Nuria Parrizas-Diaz of Spain in the second round.
