Emma Raducanu defeats Marta Kostyuk, sets Naomi Osaka showdown at DC Open

Washington, July 23 (AP) - At the DC Open, Emma Raducanu overcame No. 7 seed Marta Kostyuk, handing her a sixth consecutive defeat with a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory on Tuesday.

Kostyuk's struggles have persisted across tournaments, marking the fifth straight event where she has been eliminated in the first round. Her dry spell began after the fourth round in Rome, and she hasn't secured a match win since May 11 there.

Ranked 46th and noted for her triumph at the 2021 U.S. Open, Raducanu is set to face four-time major champion Naomi Osaka in the next round. Osaka advanced by defeating Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 7-5.

In the men's draw, Cam Norrie pulled off an upset against No. 2 seed Lorenzo Musetti, triumphing 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Since his injury last month at the French Open, which forced him to withdraw from the semifinals, Musetti has been unable to secure a victory and exited in the first round at Wimbledon, despite reaching its semifinals last year. 

I(Image courtesy- AFP)

In other news, Holger Rune, the tournament's third seed, withdrew due to a back injury, missing his scheduled match on Tuesday.

Venus Williams, aged 45, was set to make her return to singles play for the first time in over a year on Tuesday night against Peyton Stearns. Williams celebrated a doubles win at the DC Open on Monday. 

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