Defending US Open champion Emma Raducano lost in the first round

Emma Raducano, from She won the US Open last year As a little-known qualifier who turns 18 without dropping a single set, she will not defend her title this year after losing in the first round to Alizee Cornet on Tuesday night.

For Cornet, the 32-year-old French seed and 40th, the 6-3, 6-3, win was her second surprise win the following year. I bothered #1 Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the third round of Wimbledon. Cornet had the best Grand Slam result of her career earlier this year at the Australian Open, reaching the quarter-finals. Before losing to Daniel Collinswho went to reach the final.

For Raducanu, now 19, the loss came in what was A challenging year Her in the Grand Slam tournaments. Radocano reached only the second round in each of the top three, losing to Danka Kovinic at the Australian Open, Alexandra Sasnovic at the French Open, and Caroline Garcia at Wimbledon.

“I’m sorry I beat her tonight but I’m really happy with my performance,” Cornet said on court after the match. “I felt like I played a really tough game, I was fighting my heart and stopping there. I think my game on the net was very good, I think it was a bit of everything, playing with a bit of a difference, and it definitely worked out tonight.”

Cornet and Radocano rolled into Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday as the American flag hung over the field moved swiftly from start to finish. They played in front of a modest crowd on a night when Rafael Nadal appeared at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the same time.

“Alizee’s defense was very good,” Radocano said after the match, wearing a hat over her eyes. “I thought she was canceling everything again. There were junk balls in the middle of the field. With the wind blowing, it was really hard. I just kept getting them back.”

Raducanu added that she thought she wouldn’t go to that many balls due to wind conditions.

The match got off to a close start, with each player splitting the first six matches. Then, after losing 4-3 in the first set, Raducanu failed to equalize the set to serve, committing a double fault to raise the match to 5-3.

Until 40-30 in the next match, Cornet raised her arms in the air, calling out to the cheers of the crowd that had been supporting Raducanu from the start. Cornet went on to win the set 6-3 with a winning forehand.

The set was Raducanu’s first drop in her US Open career.

“I’m going to drop the ratings and climb my way up again,” she said. “Somehow the target will be a little off my back. I have another chance to make my way back in there.”

After the first set, a medical instructor was called to court, and he appeared to treat Raducano’s right hand. Raducanu struggled with blisters earlier this year.

Raducano said she had been dealing with blisters while in the US, adding that it may have been due to humidity in some cities along the tour.

She said, “Paste it and move on it.” “They are blisters — you can’t do much about it. That is what it is. Sometimes these things happen in these circumstances.”

Cornet took the first half of the second set, Radocano got the next, then another, winning the last point with a header.

Then after landing 40-15, Cornet decided to go with a drop shot that Radocano couldn’t hit, but Radocano quickly came back, winning the next point to lead 3-1.

Cornet pushed the set to 3-2 with a backhand, then tied the set in three games without giving up any points. Cornet took the next game to lead 4-3, with Radocano losing the first game with a backhand kick with an unforced error on the net.

When she got back on the field, losing 4-3, Raducanu looked at the crowd as if she was looking for someone or something. The crowd responded with several people shouting “Come on, Emma.”

Cornet took a 4-3 lead, took the next game, and Radocano hit the net at the last point.

Raducanu failed to extend the match on her dispatch. After a 40-30 touchdown, Raducanu hit the ball with a backhand, giving Cornet the win.

The match would have been important to Cornet even if she lost. This year’s US Open is Cornet’s 63rd consecutive appearance in the Grand Slam main draw, Standard line in the open era which started at the 2007 Australian Open, where she lost in the first round.

While the US Open is the last major tournament of the year, Radokano said she would consider playing in other tournaments.

“It might be exciting for me to start my kind of climbing again there,” she said. “How far can I go until the end of the year?”