Serena Williams bows out in Cincinnati as Emma Raducanu shows no mercy

Even in the face of all-time greatness and unprecedented longevity that has spanned 27 remarkable years, time is undefeated and it will eventually come for us all. With every passing day, the end of Serena Williams’ professional tennis career draws alarmingly closer and the chances of one final, spectacular result fades.

In what is likely the penultimate tournament of her great career, Williams bowed out of the Western and Southern Open in her opening round match with a grim performance, emphatically losing 6-4, 6-0 to a spotless Emma Raducanu who did not put a foot wrong throughout.

“I think we all need to just honour Serena and her amazing career,” said Raducanu. “I’m so grateful for this experience to play her and for our careers to have crossed over. Everything she achieved is inspirational and it was a true honour to share the court with her.”

After an unwelcome one-day delay, Williams and Raducanu finally arrived on Tuesday evening with tightly packed crowds lining the grounds and peeking out from the overlooking stadium court to catch a glimpse of the American great before her match. When Williams arrived in the stadium, the audience offered her a standing ovation.

This was a battle of distant generations with 21 years separating 40-year-old Williams from 19-year-old Raducanu. But after a career characterised by countless comebacks, Williams’ one-year absence from the tour after last year’s Wimbledon has so far proved too long for her to regain her best form. She once again struggled desperately to establish any timing on strokes and her declining defence was easily to picked apart.

Williams opened the match with a dire opening service game, striking four errors in a row and losing the first five points of the