Emma Raducanu will play 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova within the first spherical of the Abu Dhabi Open after her wildcard entry was upgraded to the primary draw.
The Abu Dhabi Open is reside on Sky Sports activities Tennis and Sky Sports activities+ from Monday.
Raducanu had initially been attributable to play within the qualifying rounds of a event this weekend for the primary time since her triumph on the US Open in 2021, however the 22-year-old was as an alternative moved as much as the primary draw on Saturday the place she was drawn towards world No 36 and fellow wildcard Vondrousova.
Raducanu famously beat Vondrousova when an 18-year-old wildcard on her full Wimbledon debut in 2021, two years earlier than the Czech participant turned the primary unseeded participant to win the ladies’s singles on the All England Membership.
Vondrousova beat Raducanu in 2022 within the Billie Jean Cup of their solely different assembly.
Raducanu, when additionally on a wildcard, reached final yr’s second spherical on the event in Abu Dhabi.
Having bypassed the two-round qualifying video games, Raducanu will now function in her third event of the yr every week after dropping to world No world 101 Cristina Bucsa within the first spherical of the Singapore Open.
Earlier within the month Raducanu had reached the third spherical of the Australian Open earlier than a bruising 6-1, 6-0 defeat to world No 2 Iga Swiatek.
The event in Abu Dhabi additionally options defending champion Elena Rybakina, the world No 5, and semi-finalist in Melbourne Paula Badosa. Each have byes to spherical two, which takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Raducanu could possibly be joined in the primary draw by 23-year-old compatriot Sonay Kartal after the British No 3 fought again on Saturday from a set right down to beat France’s Chloe Paquet 6-4, 2-6, 3-6 within the first qualifying spherical.
Kartal, who’s ranked 90 on the earth and gained her maiden WTA title in Tunisia final September, will now play Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in Sunday’s second qualifier and victory would safe her a spot within the full event.
However Heather Watson‘s hopes of constructing the primary draw are over after she he misplaced her first spherical qualifying match to American Katie Volynets 6-4, 6-3.
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