Raducanu eases past Stephens on Eastbourne grass / Photo: Glyn KIRK - AFP
NYSE - LSE
| CMSD | -0.8% | 24.95 | $ | |
| CMSC | -0.61% | 24.77 | $ | |
| GSK | -0.38% | 39.06 | $ | |
| SCS | -0.69% | 13.05 | $ | |
| RIO | -1.59% | 64.92 | $ | |
| NGG | -1.51% | 67.125 | $ | |
| BTI | -1.29% | 35.345 | $ | |
| BCC | -3.51% | 142.015 | $ | |
| JRI | -0.11% | 13.155 | $ | |
| AZN | -0.38% | 78.015 | $ | |
| BCE | 0.12% | 33.52 | $ | |
| RYCEF | 2.28% | 7.47 | $ | |
| BP | 1.18% | 31.3 | $ | |
| RBGPF | 1.67% | 60.5 | $ | |
| VOD | -1.29% | 9.725 | $ | |
| RELX | 0.99% | 48.63 | $ |
Raducanu eases past Stephens on Eastbourne grass
Emma Raducanu brushed aside Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-0 to advance to the second round of the Eastbourne International on Tuesday in a battle of former US Open champions.
Britain's Raducanu recovered from being broken twice in the first set before demolishing her opponent in the second set to set up a second-round match against world number five Jessica Pegula.
Raducanu, who won the US Open as a qualifier in 2021, has slipped to 168th in the world after an injury-plagued 2023 season.
The 21-year-old missed the French Open but returned to competition at the Nottingham Open grass-court tournament earlier this month, where she reached the semi-finals.
"I think for me it was the case of adapting to the court," said Raducanu, who has been given a wild card for Wimbledon, which starts on July 1.
"I've never played in Eastbourne, I've never played on this centre court and every court plays a little bit differently. In the beginning, I was trying to figure out what was the best way for me to play and use my game."
Stephens, who won the US Open in 2017, broke first for a 3-2 lead but failed to hold serve for the rest of the match.
Raducanu, after saving two break points to hold for 5-4, broke the American for a third time to seal the first set and then sprinted to the finish line, completing victory in 76 minutes.
Also in first-round action on England's south coast, Elise Mertens beat Yuriko Miyazaki 6-1, 6-2 while Ashlyn Krueger overcame Viktorija Golubic 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5.
In the men's tournament, Britain's Cameron Norrie continued his woeful run of form, losing his first-round match against Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.
Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild also advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Australia's James McCabe to set up a second-round showdown with top seed Taylor Fritz.
F.Wilson--HHA
