Emma Raducanu, the former US Open champion, was forced to withdraw from the Madrid Open just before her scheduled match against Viktoriya Tomova in the first round on Wednesday. Raducanu cited an injury to her right hand as the reason for her withdrawal. This is another setback for Raducanu, who has been struggling with form and fitness since her triumphant victory at Flushing Meadows in 2021 as an 18-year-old qualifier. She lost in the first round in Miami and Stuttgart, and by missing Madrid, she will likely fall outside the top 100 in the WTA rankings for the first time since her breakthrough.
Youngsters Shine in Madrid Open
15-year-old Mirra Andreeva caused an upset in the first round of the Madrid Open by defeating former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 6-4, posting her first tour-level win just three days before her 16th birthday. It was the first time Andreeva played against a top-50 opponent, although she had already earned impressive results this year. Her first main-draw victory extended her unbeaten pro record in 2023 to 14-0, and she was coming off two consecutive ITF W60 titles. Andreeva’s second-round opponent will be 13th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil. Another teenager, 17-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic, beat Katie Volynets 6-3, 7-5 in the first round on Tuesday to set up a match against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. The 58th-ranked Fruhvirtova is the youngest player inside the top 100 and will turn 18 on Monday.
Other first-round results include Elina Svitolina, a former No. 3 player, who lost 6-4, 7-5 to Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Wednesday. Amanda Anisimova of the United States lost 7-5, 6-2 to Arantxa Rus, while Caty McNally defeated Dalma Galfi 4-6, 6-0, 6-3. Julia Grabher replaced Raducanu in the draw and defeated Tomova 6-1, 7-6 (5).
Leave a Reply