CINCINNATI, Aug 19: After back-to-back wins over former grand slam champions Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka, England’s Emma Raducanu has been eliminated from the Western & Southern Open by America’s Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-4.
In a clash between two of the world’s top 11 players, it was the 28-year-old Pegula who proved slightly too good for her 19-year-old opponent in a number of different areas, reports DPA.
Pegula was stronger both on serve and in her returns, winning 73 per cent (46-of-63) of her service points compared to 60 per cent (43-of-72) for Raducanu, while creating nine break point opportunities to Raducanu’s three.
She will now face the in-form Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals after the Frenchwoman defeated Elise Mertens 6-4, 7-5.
Swiatek’s loss to Garcia was considered a massive upset, as was her loss to Madison Keys on Thursday as the American shocked her 6-3, 6-4 in less than 90 minutes. Swiatek was only able to land 54 per cent of her first serves fair in an off showing for the 21-year-old superstar.
World number five Ons Jabeur joined the early exits, losing to Petra Kvitova 6-1, 4-6, 6-0, and she will meet Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarterfinals after she defeated Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
In men’s singles, two of the top-10 seeds at the Western & Southern Open collided on Friday as Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Jannik Sinner 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-1.
Earlier in the day, fresh off his own upset win against Nick Kyrgios, American Taylor Fritz needed two and a half hours to get past Russia’s Andrey Rublev 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 7-5.
World number four Carlos Alcaraz was incredibly impressive against Marin Cilic, finding an extra gear in the second set to run away with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 victory.
It was similarly strong work from world number seven Stefanos Tsitsipas, creating 14 break point opportunities in his 6-3, 6-3 handling of Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman. (IANS)
