Raducanu 'excited' for 2022 with new coach

LINZ • US Open champion Emma Raducanu ended her breakthrough season on Tuesday when she was knocked out of the WTA event in Linz.

But despite losing her second-round match 6-1, 6-7 (0-7), 7-5 to 106th-ranked Wang Xinyu of China, the Briton will look forward to the new year with optimism after confirming the appointment of her new coach.

The 18-year-old top seed, who revealed after the match that Torben Beltz would be her new coach, stunned the tennis world in September when she became the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.

Playing in just her third tournament since her Flushing Meadows success, the world No. 20 struggled against Wang, who galloped through the first set as Raducanu battled to keep her service together.

The teenager was far from her most fluent in the second set, but made short work of Wang in the tie-break which she took to love as she won 10 points in a row.

Her 20-year-old opponent, however, stayed with her in the decider, breaking to go 5-4 up after which Raducanu took a medical time out for treatment for a hip spasm.

She picked herself up to save two match points and level at 5-5 but again failed to hold, allowing Wang to take her second opportunity to serve out the match, closing it out after two hours and 36 minutes on court.

It marked another disappointing day at the office for Raducanu, who has been without a coach since parting company with Andrew Richardson shortly after her triumph in New York.

Richardson had been working with Raducanu on a trial basis after she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in what was her Major debut.

Beltz, who previously coached fellow German and former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber during her successful Australian Open and US Open campaigns in 2016, will take over for next season.

"I'm definitely very excited to work with him throughout the pre-season and into next year," said Raducanu. "I'm feeling excited about all the work that is to come.

"I think he brings a lot of experience. Obviously, he's worked with Kerber, who's such a great player and has done extremely well, won three Slams. I think that experience definitely helps with someone as inexperienced as me. He can help guide me through."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE