Raducanu responds to Washington setback with opening win in Montreal

Emma Raducanu bounced back from her defeat in the Washington Open semi-finals by beating Elena-Gabriela Ruse to reach the second round of the Canadian Open.

Having fallen agonisingly short of her first final appearance since winning the US Open as a wildcard in 2021 last week, Raducanu picked herself up to record a straight-sets win in Montreal.

She was far from comfortable in the early stages, surviving five break points in her first service game then coming through another tough hold next time she was on serve.

But that was the first of five straight games that went the British number one's way to end the opening set, before the players traded breaks early in the second.

Raducanu and Ruse again exchanged breaks in games seven and eight, but the former Flushing Meadows champion broke once more for 5-4 before serving out the victory.

Having triumphed 6-2 6-4 in 98 minutes, Raducanu will face home hope Peyton Stearns in the second round on Tuesday.

Also in Montreal, Laura Siegemund beat Tatjana Maria 7-5 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-2) in an epic all-German encounter, which lasted three hours and 26 minutes.

That made it the second-longest match at WTA 1000-level this year, after Coco Gauff beat Zheng Qinwen in three hours and 32 minutes in the Italian Open semi-finals.

10 - Only Johanna Konta in 2016 (19) has won more WTA-1000 main draw matches in a single entire season than Emma Raducanu in 2025 (10) among British players since the format’s introduction in 2009. Decalogue.#OBN25 | @OBNmontreal @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/35Afz2T8V4
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) July 28, 2025

Data Debrief: Best of British

Raducanu has been quietly building momentum in recent weeks, as she prepares to return to the scene of her breakout US Open triumph later this month.

She was defeated by Anna Kalinskaya in the last four in Washington last week and only flew to Montreal the evening before her first-round match, but she would not be denied.

She has won 10 matches at WTA 1000 events in 2025, with only Johanna Konta in 2016 (19) winning more in a single season among British players since the format was introduced in 2009.