Emma Raducanu got here near an enormous upset of world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka within the third spherical of the Cincinnati Open, shedding out 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) in an epic contest lasting three hours and 9 minutes.
Inside that, there was an unimaginable 23-minute recreation within the deciding set by which Raducanu, taken to deuce 13 occasions, saved 4 break factors earlier than lastly holding serve.
However Sabalenka went on to say the third-set tiebreak 7-5 along with her second match level to increase her streak to 16-straight profitable tiebreakers and guide her passage by means of to the fourth spherical, the place she’ll face Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
For Raducanu, consideration now turns to the US Open and the ultimate Grand Slam of the yr – reside on Sky Sports activities from August 24 – which the British No 1 famously received as a wild card in 2021.
Raducanu had misplaced her two prior conferences with Sabalenka, together with a good contest within the third spherical of this yr’s Wimbledon which she dropped 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.
Sabalenka once more took the opening set on a tiebreaker in Cincinnati, having battled again from 2-0 within the opener as Raducanu raced out of the blocks to say the opening eight factors of the match.
Sabalenka swiftly discovered her groove thereafter, the three-time Grand Slam champion rattling off the following 4 video games in a row earlier than Raducanu herself broke again to degree the primary set – the British star given a telling off by the umpire at one level for talking an excessive amount of to her new coach Francis Roig.
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Emma Raducanu was warned by the umpire to not communicate to educate Francisco Roig throughout her match towards Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka upped her degree to say one more tiebreaker, however Raducanu responded in variety with a much-improved second set, significantly on serve.
The 22-year-old, who missed with solely 5 of her 28 first serves for the set, earned the essential break within the seventh recreation and later transformed her first set level with a second-serve ace.
One other Raducanu ace at an important second saved the primary of 4 Sabalenka break factors in that epic 23-minute-long eighth recreation of the third set.
The Brit, who had earlier spurned a break level likelihood of her personal within the third recreation of the decider, finally got here by means of to carry however couldn’t see off Sabalenka within the essential deciding tiebreak.
Watch the Cincinnati Open up till August 18 earlier than we head to the US Open in New York for qualifying and the primary draw from August 24 at 3pm, reside on Sky Sports activities or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities clients entry to over 50 per cent extra reside sport this yr at no additional price. Discover out extra right here.
