Raducanu outclassed by Rybakina in US Open exit

Emma Raducanu was aiming to reach the second week of the US Open for only the second time

Britains Emma Raducanu was knocked out of the US Open as she was beaten ruthlessly by fellow Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina in the third round.

Raducanu, 22, was aiming for a statement win over an elite player to underline her recent progress, but found herself outclassed in a 6-1 6-2 defeat.

Ninth seed Rybakina pummelled Raducanus serve, returning with devastating effect to break four times.

Raducanus slow start on her serve - broken at the first attempt in the match after falling 0-40 down - set the tone for what followed.

After quickly falling behind, the world number 36 looked devoid of belief and struggled to get into the rallies.

Raducanu has won only three of her 18 career matches against top-10 players.

This year, Raducanu returned to New York - the scene of her 2021 title success as a teenage qualifier - riding a wave of optimism.

Looking more carefree and content, she has played some of her best tennis since that extraordinary triumph and is close to climbing back into the worlds top 30.

But this defeat provided another reality check.

Leading into the match, Raducanu warned of 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakinas ability to take the racquet of an opponents hand with her enormous serve and penetrating returns.

That is exactly what happened in a one-sided first set lasting only 27 minutes.

Rybakinas groundstrokes were clean and crisp off both wings, with a stream of winners painting the baseline and leaving Raducanu looking rather helpless.

A total of 23 winners from 26-year-old Rybakina underlined her dominance from the back of the court.

Raducanus serve had been the bedrock of her game in two clinical opening wins against lowly ranked qualifiers Japans Ena Shibahara and Indonesias Janice Tjen.

But she did not land anywhere near as many first serves on Rybakina, which instantly put her under pressure against an opponent who reperesented a huge step up in class.

Kazakhstans Rybakina, whose power from the baseline is among the very best when she finds her groove, continued to redline in the second set.

It was felt Raducanu stood a chance if she managed to get Rybakina moving around the court, but she was not given the time to do so.