Serena Williams falls to Emma Raducanu in first round of Western & Southern Open
her retirement set sometime after the U.S. Open, which scheduled for Aug. 29-Sept. 11.
Raducanu defeated Williams in straight sets, just under an hour and a half of play, in front of a sold-out crowd on Center Court. This is the first time in 10 Western Southern appearances that Williams has lost in her first main draw match. Williams is a two-time winner of the Western Southern Open.
“It feels pretty amazing, to be honest. I can’t believe I just played Serena Williams,” Raducanu said in a news conference after her win. “I think I’m really fortunate to have been able to do it and for our paths to have crossed when there’s such a big gap (in our careers).”
Raducanu started off the night strong, finding a solid and early 4-1 lead during the first set. Williams was warmed up at that point and closed the gap, 5-4, but Raducanu triumphed and took the set, 6-4. She came into the second set just as strong, hopping 4-0 in no time, and closing it off 6-0 with the roar of the crowd.