Emma Raducanu’s US Open prep gathers pace with fine win over Marta Kostyuk in Washington

Raducanu had to hold her nerve to claim the first set - Getty Images/Scott Taetsch

Emma Raducanu secured an impressive straight-sets win over seventh seed Marta Kostyuk in Washington as she looks to build ahead of the US Open.

Playing her first singles match since stretching world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of Wimbledon, Raducanu held off the Ukrainian world No 27 to pull through a gruelling encounter 7-6, 6-4.

Both players struggled on serve in a 71-minute opening set, trading early breaks before inevitably edging into a tie-break which Raducanu won despite initially sacrificing a 4-0 lead.

The British No 3, who made a rare doubles appearance alongside Elena Rybakina earlier this week, looked the fresher of the pair in tough conditions and cemented her superiority by breaking en route to establishing a 3-0 lead in the second set.

Emma Raducanu’s preparations for the US Open have started well - Getty Images/Scott Taetsch

Kostyuk, who arrived in Washington having lost five singles matches in a row stretching back to May, rallied just when all seemed lost, breaking Raducanu back as she clawed back to parity at 4-4.

Having forced Kostyuk to serve to stay in the match, the Ukrainian handed Raducanu two match points with a double fault, and the Briton seized her second chance to book her place in the second round.

“Extremely good win,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview. “Playing Marta first round is extremely difficult and we’ve always had some tough matches.

“I’m happy with the way I fought through the first set and in the second, stayed tough when I needed to.

“It’s really difficult and extremely important to keep composure and it’s such a fine balance in these conditions, where it’s so hot, between conserving energy in the heat but also not getting too flat – and that was a fine line I was dipping in and out of.”

Beating Marta Kostyuk (left) will boost Raducanu’s confidence - Getty Images/Scott Taetsch

Raducanu reached the quarter-finals at the Mubadala Citi DC Open last year and is due to play at the WTA 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati before the US Open, where she triumphed in 2021.

Before the tournament this year, Raducanu will team up with Carlos Alcaraz in a revamped doubles competition. The new doubles team – who can expect to be given a portmanteau nickname of either “Alcaranu” or “Raducaraz” – are one of several eye-catching partnerships set to make their debuts in New York in August.

The tournament will be played on August 19-20, the Tuesday and Wednesday before the singles matches begin. It has attracted almost all the top-10 players on both tours, with British No 1 Jack Draper teaming up with last year’s Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng and Novak Djokovic playing alongside Serbian compatriot Olga Danilovic.

Elsewhere in Washington, Cameron Norrie completed a notable win over second seed and world No 7 Lorenzo Musetti to book his place in the last 16.

Norrie, the world No 41, hit back from losing the opening set to triumph 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 and score his first win over a top 10-ranked player since reaching the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in 2023.

Dan Evans, battling to return to the top 100, posted another impressive victory, beating American 13th seed Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-4.

Evans won the biggest title of his career in the American capital two years ago but was unable to defend it last year after opting to play doubles with Andy Murray at the Olympics in the Scot’s swansong.

Recommended

Wimbledon wins battle with residents over £200m expansion

Sign up to the Front Page newsletter for free: Your essential guide to the day's agenda from The Telegraph - direct to your inbox seven days a week.