Emma Raducanu’s maiden French Open campaign is over as she is dumped out in the second round by Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich… with British No 1 falling away after promising start against world No 47
- Emma Raducanu was beaten 3-6 6-1 6-1 by Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus
- The British No 1 fell away in a match with several sharp switches of momentum
- She failed to make any of her five break points at 1-1 in the deciding set count
- Raducanu left with 6-5 record from her first European clay court season attempt
Emma Raducanu’s first professional visit to the French Open ended in disappointment when she fell away in her second round after a promising start.
The 19 year-old from Kent was beaten 3-6 6-1 6-1 by Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, the world number 47, after several sharp switches of momentum.
The most significant turning point of the match came at 1-1 in the deciding set when Raducanu had five break points to get ahead. On the first of them she missed a forehand down the line when well placed to execute the shot.
Emma Raducanu’s first professional visit to the French Open ended in disappointment
The 19 year-old from Kent was beaten 3-6 6-1 6-1 to Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus
Raducanu was very much in the ascendancy when her deadly backhand secured a second break to take the opener
Sasnovich played the next four with admirable aplomb, closing off the chance of a decisive momentum swing. Thereafter she was in the ascendancy, with Raducanu somewhat deflated.
The British player is left with a 6-5 match record from her first attempt at the European clay court season as she now heads onto the grass. That is a respectable enough outcome and will bring with it the advantage of having elevated her general level of fitness.
She has collected at least one win in each of her first four Grand Slam appearances, but ultimately this one ended in a letdown.
Playing on the elegant court Suzanne Lenglen, the second arena at Roland Garros, conditions were markedly quicker in the sunshine than for the first round in the grey and cold.
Raducanu had five break points which she failed to take at 1-1 in the deciding third set
The British No 1 saw anything vaguely short from her heavily punished by the Belarusian
Raducanu was forced merely to hang in at the beginning when faced with a strong start from the experienced Belarussian. Sasnovich overhit to her backhand and the US Open champion got the first break for 3-2.
A point to break back immediately was squandered by the Belarussian when she sent a return long. Raducanu was very much in the ascendancy when her deadly cross court backhand secured a second break to take the opener.
Then came a sharp change of momentum as Sasnovich began to reel off winner after to blitz the second set. There were 19 of them in all as the match was levelled, and anything vaguely short from the British number one got heavily punished.
The heavier weight of shot from the other end, often coming in hot streaks that totalled 32 outright winners, proved the difference in the end.
The British player is left with a 6-5 match record from her first attempt at the European clay court season
Sasnovich will now face either Germany’s Angelique Kerber or France’s Elsa Jacquemot
Re-live coverage of Emma Raducanu’s second-round French open defeat by Aliaksandra Sasnovich with Sportsmail‘s KISHAN VAGHELA.
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