US Open: Kenin beats former champ Raducanu; Rybakina advances

New York, Aug 28 (IANS) America's Sofia Kenin prevailed in a closely-contested showdown between Grand Slam champions at the US Open, beating Britain's Emma Raducanu 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in the first round.

In their first meeting, 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin carved past 2021 US Open titlist Raducanu after 2 hours and 11 minutes of back-and-forth play.

Kenin will face her fellow American, No.6 seed Jessica Pegula, in the second round. They have split their four previous meetings but they have not played each other since 2021.

Coming into the US Open, Kenin's tour-level win-loss record was only 5-15 for the year. She lost nine consecutive matches earlier in 2024. Raducanu, on the other hand, had been surging this summer, lifting her ranking from No.303 in April to No.72 this week. She had won 10 of her last 14 matches coming into the US Open, but the Brit could not get past Kenin, according to WTA.

Raducanu famously stormed to the US Open title without the loss of a set in 2021 US Open women’s singles title as a teenager and a qualifier, becoming the first man or woman to do so in the Open Era.

Meanwhile, another Grand Slam champion, No.4 seed Elena Rybakina, also notched a first-round victory on Tuesday night, fending off Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava 6-1, 7-6(1) on the Grandstand.

Rybakina needed 1 hour and 22 minutes to get past Aiava, who was making her US Open main-draw debut and was also playing in her first tour-level main draw of the season.

Earlier in the day, two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka of Japan toppled former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko.

The four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka she won the US Open in 2018 and 2020. She stepped away from the game two years ago. After giving birth to daughter Shai, she arrived in Brisbane this year to mark her return.