US Open day two: Raducanu delight, Djokovic has a fright

Britain’s Emma Raducanu is through to the second round while Novak Djokovic had to fight to overcome a Danish teenager.

Andy Sims
Wednesday 01 September 2021 00:15 EDT
Novak Djokovic commiserates with Holger Rune (Frank Franklin II/AP)
Novak Djokovic commiserates with Holger Rune (Frank Franklin II/AP) (AP)

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World number one Novak Djokovic’s bid for the calendar grand slam is under way, although not without a fright.

The 20-time major champion dropped the second set to 18-year-old qualifier Holger Rune, and only a nasty bout of cramp prevented the youngster inflicting more damage.

Ashleigh Barty also got off to a winning start against Vera Zvonareva in straight sets.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Emma Raducanu followed up her remarkable run to the last 16 at Wimbledon with another impressive display at a major to beat an opponent 13 years her senior.

Here, the PA news agency looks back at day two at the US Open.

Picture of the day

Tweet of the day

Andy Murray doubled down on Stefanos Tsitsipas and bathroom-gate following his controversial defeat on Monday.

Shock of the day

Ninth seed and Olympic bronze medallist Pablo Carreno Busta was a surprise first-round casualty, losing a deciding set tie-break against American Maxime Cressy.

Stat of the day

Novak Djokovic has lost only one first-round match at a grand slam tournament - on his major debut at the Australian Open against Marat Safin in 2005

Quote of the day

It's ridiculous - I understand it's getting press because tennis is lame and tennis media sucks and they're terrible

Reilly Opelka wades in on the loo breaks controversy

Is that Sue Barker?

Brit watch

Raducanu is through to round two on her overseas grand slam debut after beating the experienced Stefanie Vogele of Swtzerland 6-2 6-3. She will face China’s Zhang Shuai on Thursday. But Katie Boulter was unable to follow suit, bowing out 6-3 6-2 against Russia’s Ludmilla Samsonova.

Fallen seeds

Men: Pablo Carreno Busta (9), Alex de Minaur (14), Lorenzo Sonego (20), Karen Khachanov (25), David Goffin (27), Fabio Fognini (28).Women: Veronika Kudermetova (29).

Up next

Third seed Tsitsipas is back in action against Adrian Mannarino of France, while Naomi Osaka opens things up on Arthur Ashe against Serbia’s Olga Danilovic.

The last British man standing, Dan Evans, takes on American Marcos Giron first up on Court 10.

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