WTA Sydney: Emma Raducanu opens the season against Elena Rybakina
Emma Raducanu will face Adelaide finalist Elena Rybakina at the start of the season. But otherwise, at the WTA 500 tournament in Sydney, some big hits are waiting for the fans early on.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Jan 09, 2022, 03:38 pm
After her corona infection in December, Emma Raducanu needed a little more time and therefore canceled the tournament in Melbourne, but the reigning US Open winner will now open her season in the coming week - and the 19-year-old is waiting for the 19-year-old a first real position assessment: Raducanu initially faces Elena Rybakina at the WTA 500 tournament in Sydney.
Raducanu should have started against Iga Swiatek, but after her semi-final defeat by Ashleigh Barty in Adelaide, the Pole canceled due to a slight rib injury. Rybakina, in turn, reached the final in Adelaide, but had no chance there against Barty.
In addition to the match between Raducanu and Rybakina, the clashes of Paula Badosa and Jelena Ostapenko or Barbora Krejcikova and Belinda Bencic stand out in the lower half. In addition, the world number three Garbine Muguruza will also compete in Sydney. The Spaniard will play her first match of the season against Ekaterina Alexandrova or a qualifier.
Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka accepted a wild card for the Adelaide WTA 250 tournament. First she meets a qualifier. In their first tournament of the year, the world number two had to fight with "Yips" .