| Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September |
| Protection: Each day radio commentaries throughout BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport web site and app, with chosen dwell textual content commentaries and match reviews on the web site and app |
Emma Raducanu’s US Open title defence fell on the first hurdle as she misplaced in straight units to France’s Alize Cornet.
Raducanu, 19, shocked the world by profitable the most important as a teenage qualifier, however her return to courtroom at Flushing Meadows was much less memorable.
The British primary was out-hustled and out-scrapped by the skilled Cornet, who gained 6-3 6-3 in New York.
Raducanu, seeded eleventh, will tumble down the rankings after dropping the factors she earned with the title final 12 months.
“This one clearly hurts a bit as a result of it is my favorite event and there are loads of feelings up to now 12 months,” she mentioned.
“I am proud for placing myself on the market each match, on daily basis, realizing I am pushing myself to be the very best I can.”
Seeing a defending champion knocked out early typically looks like a shock, however the actuality is that this defeat for Raducanu was not sudden.
{The teenager} has discovered her full-time transition to the WTA Tour a testing one, with the season punctured by niggling accidents which have contributed to inconsistent outcomes.
Even her build-up to the US Open was not with out bumps. A poor apply session on Friday was described as “a kind of unhealthy days”, though she performed down the importance of a wrist damage that wanted remedy.
Drawing Cornet, a wily and proficient participant with some notable outcomes on the majors, within the first spherical was additionally about as powerful because it may have been.
Cornet, 32, is ranked fortieth on the earth and narrowly missed out on a seeding.
At Wimbledon she ended world primary Iga Swiatek’s 37-match profitable streak and reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open at first of what might be her ultimate 12 months as knowledgeable.
Raducanu confirmed struggle and dedication all through the primary set and at first of the second, however light as Cornet’s relentless resistance wore her down.
How Raducanu’s return was ruined by Cornet
A heat ovation greeted Raducanu’s arrival for Tuesday’s night time session on Louis Armstrong Stadium, regardless of the match being removed from a sell-out, and he or she was given loads of vocal assist all through.
There have been the odd indicators of Raducanu’s high quality as she traded blows with Cornet, notably in a tussle of a primary set, however the actuality was she made too many errors in opposition to an opponent merely in higher type.
Raducanu had her service damaged seven instances and an total tally of 31 unforced errors illustrated her present place.
That was in stark distinction to {the teenager}’s clear and free-swinging strategy final 12 months in New York, the place she didn’t drop a set on the way in which to lifting the trophy.
A gusty wind whipping across the courtroom made situations tough for each gamers, however Cornet initially dealt with them higher as Raducanu struggled on serve and likewise to search out constant rhythm in her groundstrokes.
“The best way that the situations have been, it was fairly troublesome as a result of the ball was transferring round for me to actually swing,” she mentioned.
“Alize’s defence was fairly good. Like, I believed she was simply scrapping every little thing again. There have been junk balls in the course of the courtroom.
“With the wind blowing round, it was actually troublesome. She simply saved getting it again.”
Spraying wayward returns from each side, Raducanu fell 4-2 behind within the opener and, after breaking again, threw in one other poor service sport for 5-3 to permit Cornet to take the opener.
Raducanu referred to as for the physio on the finish of the set, wincing as she acquired remedy for blisters on her hand.
“I have been getting some blisters all through the weeks within the States. However I feel that is simply all the way down to humidity and stuff,” mentioned Raducanu, who additionally suffered from them throughout her Australian Open defeat in January.
“You tape it up and transfer on it. It is a blister. Not a lot you are able to do about it.”
After returning to courtroom with extra tape, issues appeared ominous when she was damaged within the first sport of the second set.
However she confirmed extra resilience to interrupt again and, assisted by a string of double faults by Cornet, transfer 3-1 forward.
Lots of the American followers leapt to their toes, displaying their assist for the Briton, however the environment rapidly dampened as Cornet rediscovered her degree to swing the match again in her favour.
