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Reuters

Agence France-Presse

Emma Raducanu admitted feeling exposed after a humbling second-round loss to defending French Open champion Iga Swiatek during her maiden appearance on Court Philippe Chatrier but the Briton said the experience had not left her demotivated.
Meanwhile, China’s Zheng Qinwen, the last woman to win a title at Roland Garros having claimed Olympic singles gold last summer, said she would not be wearing kid gloves when she faced her next opponent on Friday.
Zheng, who powered past Emiliana Arango of Colombia 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday, will play Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko in the third round.
Raducanu won her maiden grand slam title as a teenager in the US Open while playing at the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium and has competed on the main showcourts at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in the past.
But featuring on the premier stage at Roland Garros on Wednesday proved an altogether different challenge for the 22-year-old, who also felt a bit uncomfortable during her 6-1, 6-2 defeat by four-time winner Swiatek.

“It was a really difficult match. Iga played really well. It was tough. In the beginning of the match it was pretty tight. As it went on she grew in confidence. I just felt a bit exposed,” Raducanu said.
“It was the first time playing a match on that court. It’s also different when it’s filled and it’s got everything around. You do feel like it’s a big court. It’s … new for me.
“It’s a surrounding that she’s obviously very comfortable with and she’s played in it a lot of times. I think that did emphasise me feeling a bit uncomfortable. But it’s a good experience for if I ever play on that court again.”
Raducanu will go back to the drawing board ahead of her preferred grass season and said she was feeling positive after enjoying her best run of the year after getting to the quarter-finals on the hard courts of Miami in March.
The road has not been easy for Raducanu, who has struggled with form and fitness issues since her 2021 grand slam triumph and has worked with a string of different coaches without any real success.
“I don’t feel demotivated,” she said.
“I feel like since Miami I’ve really started building some momentum compared to where I came from at the start of the year and it makes me just want to keep going after a couple of days off and then get on the grass.”

Zheng, who beat French Open fifth seed Swiatek in the Paris Olympics final, will on Friday face 18-year-old qualifier Mboko, who extended her fairy-tale run with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Germany’s Eva Lys in her grand slam debut.
The Chinese eighth seed said: “Every time I see a young player coming, they have a lot of hunger, for sure. They fight a lot, for sure, because it’s their dream place.
“But same as me, it’s my dream place too. When you arrive in the professional tour, you don’t think any more about the age because everybody’s the same. You just face another opponent.
“Doesn’t matter for me,” she said. “If is world No 1, whether it’s 100, doesn’t matter the age.”
With former No 1 Swiatek having slid down the rankings after a short ban for doping, Zheng is now in the same half of the draw as the Pole, as well as world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and last year’s runner-up, Jasmine Paolini.


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French Open

French Open: Raducanu unbowed after Swiatek thrashing, Zheng Qinwen wary of next match-up

Britain’s Emma Raducanu said she felt uncomfortable during her defeat by holder Iga Swiatek. Photo: Reuters

Zheng Qinwen celebrates after beating Emiliana Arango of Colombia on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

Victoria Mboko beat Germany’s Eva Lys to reach the third round of her first grand slam. Photo: AFP

Chinese Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen powers into French Open third round

China’s Zheng Qinwen acknowledges the crowd after winning her second-round match against Colombia’s Emiliana Arango. Photo: Reuters

Emiliana Arango broke Zheng’s serve twice early in the second set. Photo: EPA-EFE

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Sport

Tennis

Ex-US Open winner ‘felt a bit exposed’, while China’s Olympic champion says she will not treat her teenaged Canadian opponent lightly


Ex-US Open winner ‘felt a bit exposed’, while China’s Olympic champion says she will not treat her teenaged Canadian opponent lightly.


Emma Raducanu

Zheng Qinwen

French Open: Raducanu unbowed after Swiatek thrashing, Zheng Qinwen wary of next match-up

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ex-US Open winner ‘felt a bit exposed’, while China’s Olympic champion says she will not treat her teenaged Canadian opponent lightly

Ex-US Open winner ‘felt a bit exposed’, while China’s Olympic champion says she will not treat her teenaged Canadian opponent lightly