Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 20, 2022 Britain’s Emma Raducanu reacts during her second round match against Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic REUTERS/Loren Elliott

January 20, 2022

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu was bundled out of the Australian Open in the second round as she was beaten 6-4 4-6 6-3 by Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic on Thursday.

The 19-year-old British sensation was hampered by a blistered racket hand from early in the first set of a tense contest on Margaret Court Arena but showed great fighting spirit to stay in contention.

With her usually powerful forehand reduced to a slice, Raducanu let slip a 3-0 lead to lose the first set.

But she played on her 98th-ranked opponent’s nerves to break at 4-4 in the second and take the match into a decider.

Kovinic showed great composure to forge ahead in the deciding set, resist a Raducanu fightback, and then move 5-3 ahead as the British youngster finally looked a little weary.

A stunning backhand winner sealed victory for the 27-year-old Kovinic as she moved into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)


Source: One America News Network

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