Raducanu suffers loss in Sydney

US Open champion Emma Raducanu’s Australian Open warm-up tournament lasted just 55 minutes after she was thrashed 6-0, 6-1 by Elena Rybakina at the Sydney International on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old Raducanu took the tennis world by storm in September when she won the US Open as a qualifier.

She opted not to play last week’s Melbourne Summer Set tournament after recovering from Covid-19, meaning her last chance for some match practice ahead of the Open was at this week’s Sydney Tennis Classic.

But she was blown off court by the powerful Rybakina, who finished runner-up to Ashleigh Barty at last week’s Adelaide International.

The 1.80-metre tall Rybakina was superior in every department and had far too much firepower for Raducanu.

Rybakina raced through the first set in 24 minutes without dropping a game and won the first three games of the second set before her opponent at last held serve. But that was simply a temporary reprieve, with Rybakina winning the next three games to underline her total dominance.

In the men’s draw, former world number one Andy Murray demolished Norwegian qualifier Viktor Durasovic 6-3, 6-1 in just 71 minutes.

Murray, who was given a wildcard this week after his first-round loss in Melbourne last week, was far too strong for the erratic Durasovic, who hit 23 unforced errors to Murray’s seven.

The Scotsman, now ranked 135 in the world following a run of debilitating injuries going back to 2018, has also been given a wildcard to next week’s Australian Open, where he has been runner-up five times.

He said the form he showed against Durasovic gave him confidence for the Open.

“I believe I can have a good run there and who knows, if I can find a bit of form and the draw opens up?” the 34-year-old asked.