04:34 PM
‘Life is exactly the same’
It has been a whirlwind few months for Raducanu but she insists nothing has changed.
Life is exactly the same. After Wimbledon I took five days off and then I practised for two weeks and I was straight on tour and competing. And when you are on the road you just zone out and focus on your next match so in a way I don’t feel any difference. I am grateful for the people that are following me. I don’t think I am that interesting but it is nice to have that many people following me.
04:22 PM
Update
Raducanu’s clash with Sherif will follow the match between Jamie Loeb and Mihaela Buzarnescu.
American Loeb won the first set 6-4 and Buzarnescu leads 4-3 on serve in the second.
04:09 PM
Emma’s enjoying herself
03:43 PM
Good afternoon
Hello and welcome to coverage of US Open qualifying as British teen sensation Emma Raducanu aims to reach the main draw.
After a memorable run to the fourth round of Wimbledon, it would have been easy for Raducanu to suffer a dip in form. But it has been anything but for the 18-year-old.
Earlier this month she reached the final of the WTA Chicago Challenger but was beaten by Danish teenager Clara Tauson. However, she carried that form to New York and the qualifying event for the final Grand Slam of the year.
She dropped just three games as she rolled over Holland’s Bibiane Schoofs 6-1, 6-2 in the first round but was made to work harder for the win against Mariam Bolkvadze of Georgia in the second round but won 6-3, 7-5.
That has set up a final qualifying match against Egyptian Mayar Sherif today for a place in the main draw.
Sherif, the fourth seed, will be Raducanu’s toughest match. The 25-year-old reached a career high of 97 in the world this month and made it through to the Australian Open second round in February.
Elsewhere, also through to the final round of qualifying is Harriet Dart who prevailed over Lucrezia Stefanini 7-6 (1), 7-6 (5), the first set seeing 10 breaks of serve.
Dart will go on to face Viktoriya Tomova while Katie Boulter will next play Kristina Kucova after beating Vitalia Diatchenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Liam Broady’s US Open hopes were dashed by Marco Trungelliti who won 6-4, 6-4.
And a trio of Brits fell at the second round in the women’s draw on Thursday, Francesca Jones going down 6-4, 6-4 to Jaqueline Adina Cristian, Jodie Anna Burrage losing in three sets to Stefanie Voegele 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) and Samantha Murray pipped by Monica Niculescu 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.