US Open draw: Serena Williams plays Danka Kovinic, Emma Raducanu faces Alize Cornet

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Emma Raducanu lifts the US Open trophy after her win in the 2021 final
Twelve months on from her beautiful US Open win, Emma Raducanu is ranked eleventh on this planet
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Date: 29 August-11 September
Coverage: Daily radio commentaries throughout BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport web site and app, with chosen stay textual content commentaries and match reviews on the web site and app

Britain’s Emma Raducanu has been handed a troublesome begin towards France’s Alize Cornet when she returns to New York to defend her US Open title.

Raducanu, seeded eleventh, shocked the world final 12 months by profitable the main as a little bit recognized 18-year-old qualifier.

Cornet, ranked thirty seventh on this planet, is an skilled and proficient participant with some notable outcomes on the majors.

Serena Williams will play Danka Kovinic as she begins what is about to be the ultimate event of her profession.

The American nice, who turns 41 subsequent month, may face second seed Anett Kontaveit within the second spherical if she beats the Montenegrin.

However, 21-time main champion Novak Djokovic is just not within the males’s singles draw after pulling out of the tournament earlier on Thursday.

Djokovic, 35, is unvaccinated towards Covid-19 and the United States is not going to permit guests who haven’t had the jab into the nation.

The US Open most important draw begins on Monday at Flushing Meadows in New York.

What are the highlights of the boys’s draw?

British males’s primary Cameron Norrie is seeded seventh and plays Frenchman Benoit Paire, whereas 2012 champion Andy Murray begins towards Argentine twenty fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo.

Norrie, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals final month, can not face a higher-ranked opponent till the quarter-finals on account of his elevated seeding.

The 26-year-old left-hander is projected to play Spain’s 22-time main winner Rafael Nadal, who’s getting back from an stomach harm and begins towards Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata, within the final eight.

Kyle Edmund, the previous British primary who remains to be firstly of a comeback after virtually two years out with a knee harm, has been drawn towards Norwegian fifth seed Casper Ruud.

One of essentially the most eye-catching first-round matches within the males’s draw pits Australia’s Nick Kyrgios towards his doubles companion and good buddy Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Defending males’s champion Daniil Medvedev begins his bid to retain the trophy towards American world quantity 110 Stefan Kozlov.

What are the opposite highlights of the ladies’s draw?

Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka, now ranked forty fourth on this planet, plays American nineteenth seed Danielle Collins in one of many standout first-round matches.

Osaka has lacked kind and health over the previous couple of years, additionally having taken time away from the game to give attention to her psychological well being, however was at all times prone to be a tough unseeded floater within the draw.

Poland’s world primary Iga Swiatek begins her quest for a 3rd main title towards Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, with 2017 champion Sloane Stephens presumably awaiting her within the second spherical.

What concerning the different Britons?

Jack Draper
Jack Draper is enjoying within the Winston-Salem Open quarter-finals in a while Thursday

Seven British gamers have direct entry into the singles attracts, with Dan Evans, Jack Draper and Harriet Dart becoming a member of Raducanu, Norrie, Murray and Edmund.

Evans, seeded twentieth, plays Czech world quantity 68 Jiri Vesely in his opening match.

Draper, 20, is making his debut in the principle draw of an abroad main after shifting to the verge of the world’s high 50.

The left-hander meets Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori, who was spectacular when he beat Draper in straight sets at Queen’s earlier this 12 months.

Dart broke into the world’s high 100 for the primary time earlier this 12 months and her rating means she enters the US Open for the primary time with no need to undergo qualifying.

The 26-year-old has been drawn towards Russian tenth seed Daria Kasatkina, who lately criticised her country’s attitude to homosexuality after coming out as gay.

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

So Emma Raducanu is not going to have it in any respect simple on her return to New York: her first spherical draw is just about as powerful because it could possibly be.

Alize Cornet, who narrowly missed out on a seeding, stopped Iga Swiatek’s profitable streak at 37 throughout Wimbledon, and reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open firstly of what could possibly be her ultimate 12 months as an expert.

Serena Williams, in distinction, may have had a a lot more durable draw as Danka Kovinic has not received a match for the reason that French Open.

Cameron Norrie’s charismatic first spherical opponent Benoit Paire often attracts headlines, however he has managed solely 4 tour stage wins all 12 months.

Both Norrie and Dan Evans have purpose for optimism, given how properly they’ve been enjoying in current weeks, and if he can resolve his current cramping issues, then Andy Murray needs to be very aggressive towards Francisco Cerundolo – the Argentine who reached the final 4 of the Miami Masters.

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