Emma Raducanu admitted that she felt pressured throughout the entire match against Elena Rybakina and that she never settled or picked up any rhythm out there.
Through her opening two US Open matches, Raducanu was all business as she impressively dropped a total of six games in her wins over Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen. But after demolishing her rivals in the opening two rounds in New York, the 2021 US Open winner got crushed after Rybakina handed her a 6-1 6-2 defeat.
Right out the gate, Rybakina collected a break in the second game, before picking another in the seventh game. The second set was the same story as the 2022 Wimbledon winner earned two breaks to complete the job.
Rybakina finished with 23 winners and 19 unforced errors. On the other side, Raducanu registered just eight winners and sprayed 18 double faults. Also, the Kazakh earned nine break points and collected four breaks, while the Briton didn't clinch a single break point.
Raducanu: I never really got a chance to settle or feel any rhythm
“That match was very difficult. I never really got a chance to settle or feel any rhythm. I just felt that there were so few balls in play that when one was in play, I felt too much pressure to do something. A lot of work to do – especially against the top players – but, overall, I’m heading in the right direction. I’m just ready to get back on the practice court. I have some time now to work on my game. I haven’t spoken yet [with coach Francis Roig], but I’m sure we’ve got a lot to debrief on," the world No. 36 explained.
For Raducanu, this was definitely a disappointing way to end her US Open campaign. Now, the 22-year-old will probably take a couple of days to rest and then kick off her preparation for the Asian swing.
