Raducanu, Muguruza succumb in Round 2 shockers

MELBOURNE, Australia – US Open champion Emma Raducanu and Garbine Muguruza were among several seeds to fall on a day of shocks at the Australian Open on Thursday ahead of men’s title favorite Daniil Medvedev’s disposal of hometown bet Nick Kyrgios.

Raducanu was bundled out in the second round as she was beaten 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 by Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic.

The 19-year-old British sensation was hampered by a blistered racket hand from early in the first set of a tense contest on Margaret Court Arena but showed great fighting spirit to stay in contention.

Earlier, third seed Muguruza and sixth seed Anett Kontaveit suffered second-round upsets in straight sets, opening up the bottom half of the women’s draw.

WTA Finals winner Muguruza struggled with her serve against 61st-ranked veteran Alize Cornet, losing 6-3, 6-3 in one hour, 27 minutes.

“I am a bit of a dinosaur on the tour,” said Cornet, who turns 32 on Saturday. “I’ve been there for 16 years so I have played a lot of matches and faced a lot of situations that I have overcome.”

Kontaveit, seen by many as a serious title contender after a breakout 2021, committed 27 unforced errors as she was stunned 6-2, 6-4 by fast-rising Danish teenager Clara Tauson.

In the men’s draw, Australian wildcard Chris O’Connell continued the day of upsets with a straight-sets win over 13th seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-4.

World No. 175 O’Connell, who has reached the third round of a Slam for the first time, faces America’s Maxime Cressy.

Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas – chasing a first major title – avoided the carnage but did not have it all his own way in a 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4 win over former world number one junior Sebastian Baez of Argentina.

Medveded, the No. 2 seed, progressed with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over Kyrgios in an explosive showdown.