Cincinnati Open: Emma Raducanu storms into 3rd round

CINCINNATI: Emma Raducanu stormed into the third round of the Cincinnati Open with a 6-0, 6-2 thrashing of Victoria Azarenka on Wednesday, signalling she will be well prepared for her US Open title defence.

For the second straight match Emma Raducanu delivered a dominating display, the 10th seed needing just 62 minutes on centre court to dismiss the twice Australian Open winner from Belarus after thumping Serena Williams 6-4, 6-0 in the first round.

"I was playing a great match for sure and to play Vika I had to stay focused throughout," said Raducanu in a post-match on court interview. "In the second set I could feel the important moments and a couple of turning points that could have made the second set really difficult.

"I am really pleased with how I dug in and serving it out in that last game was really difficult."

Raducanu, who has not won a tournament since capturing last year's title at Flushing Meadows as a 150th-ranked qualifier, appears to again be hitting her stride with the season's final Grand Slam.

After committing just one unforced error in her match against Williams, the 19-year-old Briton was again firing on all cylinders as she raced out to 6-0, 4-0 lead before Azarenka, twice a winner of the event, was able to hold serve and avoid the embarrassment of a double-bagel exit.

Looking every bit like the player who stunned the tennis world a year ago with her magical run in Flushing Meadows, Raducanu had all parts of her game working, laying down five aces and unleashing a barrage of returns and flurry of winners.

Raducanu will next face U.S. No. 1 Jessica Pegula, the No.7 seed and World No.8, who had a much different path through to Round 3.

After dropping the first set against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in a tiebreak, Pegula cruised to make a comeback, 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-2. Agencies

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