Emma Raducanu opened her preparations for the upcoming US Open with a convincing straight-sets victory over seventh seed Marta Kostyuk at the DC Open in Washington.
Returning to singles action for the first time since pushing world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka hard in the third round of Wimbledon, Raducanu edged past the Ukrainian, ranked 27th, in a tough contest, winning 7-6 (4), 6-4.
The first set lasted 71 minutes as both players struggled with their serves, exchanging early breaks before a tie-break decided the outcome. Raducanu initially led 4-0 before Kostyuk fought back, but the Briton held firm to take the set. The British No. 3, who recently played doubles with Elena Rybakina, appeared sharper in difficult conditions and extended her dominance by breaking early in the second set to lead 3-0.
Kostyuk, who had lost her last five singles matches dating back to May, nearly recovered from the deficit, breaking back to level at 4-4. However, a double fault from the Ukrainian gave Raducanu two match points, and she capitalized on the second opportunity to advance.
"Really good win," Raducanu said afterward. "Facing Marta in the first round is always tough—we’ve had some battles before. I’m glad I pushed through the first set and stayed strong in the second when it mattered."
Venus Williams set a record as the oldest player in over 20 years to win a singles match at tour level with a victory over fellow American Peyton Stearns. In a match featuring 10 service breaks, the 45-year-old triumphed 6-3, 6-4, becoming the oldest winner since Martina Navratilova’s 2004 success at 47. This marked Williams’ first singles win since August 2023, securing a last-16 match against fifth seed Magdalena Frech of Poland.
Williams returned to competition after a 16-month break, previously playing doubles with Hailey Baptiste. "This was a significant win for me," she said. "Nothing comes easy here, so I know I’ll have to fight in every match—but I’m ready for that."
"There’s no limit to what you can achieve. It depends on your mindset and how much you invest—mentally, physically, and emotionally. If you do that, the results will follow."
Cameron Norrie secured a notable victory over second seed Lorenzo Musetti, ranked seventh in the world, to reach the last 16. After dropping the opening set, Norrie, ranked 41st, bounced back to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, marking his first top-10 win since reaching the Indian Wells quarterfinals in 2023.
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