Emma Raducanu’s journey at the National Bank Open in Montreal came to an abrupt end as she faced a decisive defeat against American fifth seed Amanda Anisimova with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-1. Despite two previous victories against Anisimova, Raducanu struggled throughout the match, managing to hold her serve only once.
The match started with Anisimova demonstrating her dominance when she broke Raducanu’s serve early on. Although Raducanu briefly equalized with a break back, Anisimova quickly regained control, breaking serve again to take a commanding lead. The pattern continued, with Anisimova breaking Raducanu’s serve multiple times, leading to a swift conclusion in the first set.
The second set saw Raducanu facing even more challenges, winning just eight points on her serve and only avoiding a whitewash after losing five consecutive games. Anisimova’s powerful performance included 29 winners juxtaposed to Raducanu’s disappointing five, highlighting the American’s tactical advantage and skill.
Anisimova, currently ranked No. 7 in the world, has been on an impressive run, claiming victory in 14 of her last 17 matches since the beginning of the grass court season. This latest win marks her 29th consecutive victory in matches where she has won the first set. Looking ahead, Anisimova is set to face either 10th seed Elina Svitolina or Anna Kalinskaya in the fourth round.
Meanwhile, Raducanu will take a break before heading to Cincinnati, where she will benefit from being seeded, including a first-round bye, hopefully allowing her to regroup and find her form again.
The resilience displayed by both players in this competitive match serves as a reminder of the volatile nature of sports, where even top-ranked players can face off against formidable opponents and emerge with different results. This defeat may provide Raducanu with valuable insights and experiences to carry forward into her upcoming matches.