New York, USA – Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina produced a commanding performance on Friday, overpowering Britain’s Emma Raducanu to secure a 6-1, 6-2 victory and advance to the fourth round of the US Open for the first time in her career.
The unseeded Raducanu, the 2021 champion, had been in strong form leading up to the match, but she was no match for the Kazakh’s relentless power. The ninth seed broke Raducanu’s serve immediately and never looked back, unleashing a series of thumping forehand winners that gave her opponent no answer. The convincing win took just over an hour
Coach’s Return Adds to Controversy
Rybakina’s victory on the court comes amid a notable and controversial return to her coaching box. Her coach, Stefano Vukov, has been restored to his position after the WTA recently lifted a suspension against him.
Vukov had been banned from attending all tournaments by the WTA after an investigation into his conduct. The probe, which followed reports detailed by The Athletic, found that he had engaged in “abuse of authority and abusive behaviour” toward Rybakina. The WTA’s ruling had led to a year-long ban against the coach in January. However, Vukov successfully appealed the suspension, allowing him to reunite with Rybakina, with whom he has worked between events this season.
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