US Open 2022 - Defending champion Emma Raducanu loses in first round

NEW YORK — Emma Raducanu's US Open defence came to an end in the first round as she lost to Alize Cornet in straight sets on Tuesday.

Raducanu stunned the sporting world last year when she went from qualifier to winner of the women's singles in an incredible fortnight in New York. But she came unstuck against Cornet, who was playing in her 63rd straight Grand Slam. Cornet defeated Raducanu 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour, 42 minutes.

«I'm obviously disappointed to lose first round,» Raducanu said. «Yeah, I mean, credit to Alize, she played pretty well. I mean [it is] obviously really disappointing, [I'm] really sad to leave here. It's probably my favorite tournament.

»But also, I mean, in a way [I'm] happy because it's a clean slate. I'm going to drop down the rankings. Climb my way back up."

It was a match in which both players struggled to hold serve in blustery conditions in Louis Armstrong Stadium, and there were five breaks of serve in the first set.

«I think it was quite windy,» Raducanu said. «It was blowing, like, from back-to-front. It was quite difficult for me especially to find my ball toss. I think I was hitting quite a lot of serves long. I just struggled to adapt to it really.

»And, I mean, it's something that both players have to kind of deal with. She just dealt with it better than me today."

Raducanu called a medical timeout at the end of the first set for treatment on her right hand, having suffered from blisters there during her practice session on Friday.

«I got a new one,» Raducanu said. «But, like, you know, you tape it up and move on it. It's a blister. Not much you can do about it.»

Cornet and Raducanu exchanged breaks at the start of the second set but the key spell came in the seventh game, when Cornet