Tennis: Raducanu's U.S. Open title defence ends in first round

Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 30, 2022 Britain's Emma Raducanu acknowledges the crowd after losing her first round match against France's Alize Cornet REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Emma Raducanu, who made a dream run to the U.S. Open title last year, suffered a nightmare 6-3 6-3 first round loss to Frenchwoman Alize Cornet on Tuesday as the clock finally struck midnight on an improbable tennis fairytale.

Raducanu captivated the sporting world when she became the first qualifier to claim a Grand Slam title, winning 10 matches in New York without dropping a set, catapulting her career into the stratosphere and making her one of the most marketable athletes on the planet.