Raducanu Makes Winning Start Under New Coach at Cincinnati Open

Emma Raducanu began her Cincinnati Open campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-3, 6-2 in her first match working full-time with new coach Francis Roig, formerly part of Rafael Nadal’s team, Sport360NG reports.

The British No.1, preparing for the upcoming US Open, made a confident return to action after receiving a first-round bye. Danilovic, who had earlier ousted Britain’s No.3 Katie Boulter, made the stronger start by breaking Raducanu to love in the opening game. The early stages saw a flurry of breaks, with four coming in the first five games, but Raducanu regained control, breaking again for 5-3 before sealing the opening set with an ace.

In the second set, the 22-year-old capitalised on her opponent’s errors to earn a decisive break for 3-2. From there, she did not concede another game, closing out the match to book a third-round spot. Ranked 39th in the world, four places above Danilovic, Raducanu said she is encouraged by her recent form.

“I feel like I’m building momentum and staying consistent over the past few months,” she said. “There’s still a lot of work to do, but I’m putting in the hours and trusting the process.”

Her next challenge will be top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Raducanu in straight sets at Wimbledon last month. Sabalenka advanced with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Marketa Vondrousova, saving 12 break points in the process.

Elsewhere, Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek progressed to the last 32 with a 6-1, 6-4 win against Anastasia Potapova, while Australia’s Madison Keys survived two match points to edge Germany’s Eva Lys 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).