Emma Raducanu earns straight-sets win over Marta Kostyuk in Washington
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.
Rising to the occasion 🔥@EmmaRaducanu knocks out No.7 seed Kostyuk, 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach the second round. #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/HMpApN8VbU
— wta (@WTA) July 22, 2025
The British number three, 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.
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.'
Venus Williams became the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match for more than two decades when she beat fellow American Peyton Stearns.
In a match of 10 service breaks, Williams, 45, won 6-3 6-4 to become the oldest winner since Martina Navratilova, who was 47 in 2004.
It was her first singles victory since August 2023 and books a last-16 clash with Poland's Magdalena Frech, the fifth seed.
The seven-time grand slam singles tournament winner returned to competitive action after 16 months out with a doubles victory alongside Hailey Baptiste on Monday.
Just 45-year-old things ™️@Venuseswilliams becomes the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since then-47-year-old Martina Navratilova defeated Catalina Castano at 2004 Wimbledon.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/XdRyYsmikn
— wta (@WTA) July 23, 2025
'I think it was a big win for me today,' she told the WTA website. 'It won't be easy. It's not easy for anyone out here. So I know I'll have to fight for every match, but I'm up for that.
'There are no limits for excellence. It's all about what's in your head and how much you're able to put into it.
'If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result.'
Cameron Norrie completed a notable win over second seed and world number seven Lorenzo Musetti to book his place in the last 16.
Norrie, the world number 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.
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