Emma Raducanu’s run at the Canadian Open came to an abrupt halt after a heavy straight-sets defeat at the hands of Amanda Anisimova. The British No. 1 fell 6-2, 6-1 in a one-sided third-round clash in Montreal.
This marks a disappointing exit for Raducanu, who had previously bested Anisimova in their two earlier meetings. But on Thursday night, she failed to find her rhythm, holding serve just once in each set.
Amanda Anisimova, the fifth seed and recent Wimbledon finalist, proved far too strong for the 21-year-old Brit, dictating play from the outset with confidence and composure.
Anisimova Takes Control Early
Raducanu began the match on shaky ground. Though she managed an immediate break after losing her serve in the opening game, the American bounced back emphatically.
From 40-15 down, Anisimova broke again to go 2-1 up and never looked back. She consolidated her lead, breaking Raducanu again to make it 3-1, and later sealed the first set with a third break.
The second set saw more of the same. Raducanu struggled to win points on her own serve, managing just eight throughout. Anisimova raced into a 5-0 lead, narrowly missing out on a whitewash as Raducanu avoided the dreaded bagel.
Anisimova coolly served out the match, securing her place in the fourth round where she will face 10th seed Elina Svitolina. Svitolina was ruthless in her own third-round match, sweeping aside Anna Kalinskaya 6-1, 6-1.
Other Results: Świątek and Sevastova Shine
In other action from Montreal, reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Świątek breezed through her tie against Germany’s Eva Lys. The top seed needed just over an hour to complete a 6-2, 6-2 win. She next faces Denmark’s Clara Tauson, who dominated Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 6-0.
Meanwhile, there was a major upset as third seed Jessica Pegula saw her hopes of a third consecutive Montreal title dashed by World No. 386 Anastasija Sevastova. The Latvian, a former World No. 11 who has endured lengthy absences due to maternity and a torn ACL, pulled off a gritty 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win.
Sevastova now advances to face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the next round.
Raducanu will now turn her focus to the upcoming hard-court swing in the United States, where she’ll be hoping for a resurgence in form ahead of the US Open – the site of her fairytale Grand Slam triumph in 2021.
