US Open champion Raducanu overpowered by Garcia at Wimbledon

The 19-year-old, who rocketed to fame with her spellbinding US Open triumph last year, did not play badly but had no answer to Garcia's superior firepower

By Reuters

Published: Wed 29 Jun 2022, 9:20 PM

Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon hopes were crushed on Centre Court by France’s Caroline Garcia as the golden girl of British sport suffered a 6-3 6-3 second-round loss on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old, who rocketed to fame with her spellbinding US Open triumph last year, did not play badly but had no answer to Garcia’s superior firepower.

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Garcia, a former top-10 player, dominated the opening set with her aggressive hitting unsettling the 10th-seeded Raducanu.

She continued blazing away in the second set as Raducanu, despite overwhelming support, fell away.

Garcia broke serve at 3-3 and held for a 5-3 lead before clinching victory in the next game with a backhand pass, her 25th winner of the match.

Raducanu’s preparation for her second Wimbledon, after last year’s fairytale ride to the fourth round, had not been ideal as she struggled with a side strain that limited her court time.

Her opening win over tricky Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck had raised expectations, but Garcia, a far more dangerous opponent, offered a stark reality check.

“I was preparing for this match really well,” Garcia said of her first appearance on Centre Court.

“Emma is a huge player and in her home tournament and she proved she can do very well on the big stage. It’s fair that they support Emma and of course it a great memory for me and as always it is a lot of respect.”