TORONTO, CANADA (AFP) - Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain exited on Tuesday (Aug 9) in the first round of the WTA Toronto Masters, losing 7-6 (7/0), 6-2 to Italy's Camila Giorgi.

Defending WTA Canadian champion Giorgi won a combative first set and ran away with the second against the 19-year-old Englishwoman, whose title defence begins in less than three weeks in New York.

Giorgi needed just over an hour and three-quarters to advance to the second round over the ninth seed who broke into the ranking top 10 less than a month ago.

"It was a great match," said Giorgi, who won 16 points in a row at one stage in the second set.

Raducanu had to hold on in a wild opening set, where serve was broken in six of the dozen games played.

The Briton saved a set point in the 12th game to bring on a tiebreaker, but collapsed to lose seven straight points as Giorgi took the set after 71 minutes.

Raducanu was broken three times in the second set as Giorgi finished off her victory.