At the Citi Open in Washington, Emma Raducanu recorded her maiden victory of the North American hard court season by defeating Louisa Chirico 6-4, 6-2.
The US Open winner began her debut in Washington, D.C. sluggishly, but adapted to the humid circumstances and produced excellent groundstrokes en route to an 87-minute victory. Chirico, an American qualifier, committed 42 unforced errors compared to Raducanu’s 18, while the tenth-ranked British player won 76% of her first and second serves.
The second-seeded Raducanu won the match after breaking Chirico’s serve to take a 3-2 lead in the second set. Raducanu, who will compete against Camila Osorio in the second round, was pleased with her victory.
In her post-match press conference, she remarked, “It feels fantastic to win in Washington, DC.” “After not playing for a considerable amount of time after Wimbledon or many matches this year, I think it’s a great feeling to be back on the court.
“I believe the first hole of any round is always quite difficult. Then, when you are not necessarily razor-sharp, you don’t always get the details right. It is essential to maintain calm.”
Her subsequent opponent, Osorio, was eliminated in the first round of the Rothesay Classic Birmingham in June by Harriet Dart after the 67th-ranked Colombian overcame the returning former Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin in straight sets.
In Washington, DC, Raducanu’s professional doubles debut with fellow adolescent Clara Tauson resulted in a straight-set loss the day before her singles victory.
Earlier, Dan Evans advanced to the third round by defeating fellow Briton Kyle Edmund in straight sets. In Washington, the 16th seed defeated an opponent returning from a lengthy injury layoff with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in less than an hour.
In the next round, he will face either Taylor Fritz or Alexei Popyrin, as Edmund reflects on his return to singles play after a 20-month absence due to three knee surgeries.
Evans stated thereafter on the court, “My concentration was extremely excellent.” I had a minor hiccup at the end, but I don’t believe I did much wrong. I believe he hit three winners.
“I’m just ecstatic to still be moving. It’s always pleasant to begin a new swing with a victory, and it’s great to have advanced to the third round.
Evans won the opening set in just 22 minutes without dropping a single point, capitalizing on rusty Edmund’s run of blunders. He reached 15 in the first game and again in the fifth and seventh, with unforced errors costing the former British number one dearly.
Edmund, 27, held serve with an ace to tie the second set at 1-1, but errors proved costly once more as Evans stormed to a 4-1 lead with a near-faultless performance.
He broke again to serve for the match when Edmund’s first serve failed him, but he has quickly broken again when his opponent delivered a superb forehand return and then an amazing drop shot to win his opportunity. However, the reprieve was short-lived, as Evans secured victory in 62 minutes on the second attempt.
Andrey Rublev, the top seed, advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jack Draper of Great Britain. The 24-year-old had to be patient in the first set as he faced six break point opportunities before converting the seventh to take a 5-4 lead.
He then served well to solidify his advantage. The 20-year-forehand old’s blunder gave Rublev a second-set break and a 2-1 lead, and despite having to save two break points in the next game, he was able to secure an easy victory.
