Elena Rybakina dropped just one game to cruise past last year’s US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-0 6-1 in the first round at the Sydney Tennis Classic WTA 500 tournament.
Rybakina finished runner-up to Ashleigh Barty in the eighth final of her career at the Adelaide International in Adelaide last weekend. The Kazakh player reached four finals in her first five finals of her breakthrough season in 2020.
Raducanu was playing in her eighth WTA level main draw. The British rising star tested positive fo Covid-19 last month and withdrew from th Melbourne Summer Set last week.
Rybakina won 77% of her first serve points and 67% of her second serve points. The Kazakh player earned an early break in the second game after three double faults from Raducanu.
Rybakina reeled off the first seven points and 12 of the first 15, earning three breaks to take a bagel win in the first set and went up a break in the second game to build up a 6-0 3-0 lead.
Raducanu made a total of six double faults and did not reach a game point until the fourth game of the second set, when she won her first game as Rybakina sent a backhand long. Rybakina converted her third break point at deuce in the sixth game to seal the second set 6-1.
“My serve is a weapon, so I am always working on it and trying to find some variety. For sure, it’s my game to play aggressive and my serve is helping a lot”, said Rybakina. Rybakina set up a second round match against France’s Caroline Garcia, who scored her first top 25 win in over a year beating Jessica Pegula 6-4 7-6 (7-3).
