A barrage of winners from Aliaksandra Sasnovich left Emma Raducanu looking for answers and her French Open journey over before it felt like it had really begun. The one-sided look of the 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 scoreline rather skews the nature of what was a much closer match over two hours on Court Suzanne Lenglen, but it does capture the essence that when Sasnovich hit her stride and the forehand winners flowed, there was little Raducanu could do to keep up.
Raducanu’s US Open triumph has been followed by second-round exits at her next two grand slam appearances. Here, she was faced by an inspired Sasnovich, the same opponent who took Raducanu down at Indian Wells last October in her first match as US Open champion. There were signs of the experience and lessons Raducanu has gained on the tour since then, particularly as she made a bright start. But what was evident, once again, is the clear depth in the women’s draw and the perils of catching an opponent as they themselves are catching fire.
