Sofia Kenin thanks home crowd for their support in toppling Briton Emma Raducanu in first round at 2024 US Open

In a clash of the two Grand Slam champions, Sofia Kenin beat Emma Raducanu in three sets in the first round of the 2024 US Open.

Sofia Kenin thanks home crowd for their support in toppling Briton Emma Raducanu in first round at 2024 US Open

Sofia Kenin, Emma Raducanu (Images WTA, Imago)

American WTA star and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was more than happy after defeating 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in their first-round clash at the 2024 US Open. In their first tour meeting, Kenin beat Raducanu 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and 11 minutes. After the match, she thanked the home crowd for their unwavering support.

Kenin said that the match was a close one to call and that it could have gone either way. She said that the Briton was a tough opponent for a first-round clash because she had won the title a few years back.

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Your support means so much to me. Thank you for keeping me going. It was a rollercoaster. Emma is such a tough player. She played some great tennis. I’m just happy to have won. It was super close. The third set could’ve gone either way. I tried to handle my nerves. The support from you guys and everyone in the box means a lot. I try to take one match at a time. Emma won this a few years ago. I feel like it was a great blockbuster first-round match. I’m happy to have gone through.
Sofia Kenin said after her win over Emma Raducanu

Kenin will either face Jessica Pegula or Shelby Rogers, who is set to retire after the tournament, in the second round.

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Sofia Kenin gets the much-needed start at 2024 US Open

Sofia Kenin came into the US Open with an abysmal win-loss record in the 2024 season. The American had lost 15 out of the 20 matches she played this year, including nine defeats on the trot. Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu had won 10 out of the 14 matches heading into the season’s final the Grand Slam.

Emma Raducanu and Sofia Kenin
Sofia Kenin and Emma Raducanu (via Imago)

However, Kenin put these all stats behind her to put on a spectacle for the viewers. She used dazzling drop shots to devastating effect, squeaking through a number of close games to take the one-set lead. The American fumbled a bit in the second set with 16 unforced errors. Raducanu eventually clinched the second set to send the match into the decider.

Kenin got her act back together in the third set. She hit a few strong forehands to earn a triple break point at 2-2. A Raducanu double fault ceded the break to the American and Kenin held on from there to win the match.

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