Raducanu narrowly defeated Wang Xinyu in three sets and returned to the Grand Slam stage strongly

On the evening of May 26, Beijing time, in a key matchup in the first round of the French Open women's singles, 2021 US Open champion Raducanu and Chinese Golden Flower Wang Xinyu teamed up to present a three-set battle with ups and downs. In the end, Raducanu won 7-5 4-6 6-3 to advance to the second round of the French Open. Wang Xinyu, on the other hand, sent a "goodbye double fault" at the tiebreaker point to end this year's Roland Garros tour.

At the start of the game, the two sides quickly got into the groove. Raducanu pressed with his trademark forehand, while Wang relied on a solid baseline and precise backhand to maneuver around. In the first 10 games, the two sides broke each other once and fought to a 5-5 draw. The turning point was in the 11th game, when Raducanu forced a break point on her opponent's serve to win the first set 7-5.

In the second set, Wang Xinyu adjusted her tactics and disrupted her opponent's rhythm by adding topspin balls and small balls in front of the net, taking the lead in breaking serve and leading 5-1 at one point. But then the British chased three games in a row, bringing the score to 5-4. In the crucial 10th game, Wang Xinyu forced two set points on Raducanu's unbreakable serve and won the set 6-4 with a backhand winning point. In this set, the Chinese girl's first-serve scoring rate was as high as 78%, showing a strong psychological resilience.

In the deciding set, both sides fluctuated in their fitness, with Raducanu taking a 3-0 lead with more experience. Although Wang Xinyu stubbornly broke back to break the game, the British star did not give any more chances, and after entering the service game 5-3, Wang Xinyu had a chance to continue the suspense, but Raducanu withstood the pressure and forced the match point, and with Wang Xinyu's double fault, the match ended.

Although Wang Xinyu scored 46 winning points (up from Raducanu's 30), eight double faults (including the last point of the deciding set), 54 unforced errors and only 56% of first-serve points were the main reasons for the loss. Raducanu, on the other hand, showed a more balanced offensive and defensive performance, especially in the key points, with a 53 per cent break point conversion rate.

Raducanu couldn't hide her excitement after the match: "It was a tough game, and the quality of Wang Xinyu's shots was incredible. I'm happy to get back to the competitive feeling of a Grand Slam. And Wang Xinyu said frankly: "I didn't seize the opportunity in the deciding set, it's a pity to double fault, but this is tennis." This is the second consecutive Grand Slam tournament (Australian Open and French Open 2025) in which Wang Xinyu has suffered a singles first-round exit.

In the next round, Raducanu will take on defending champion Swiatek, who has met four times, all of which were won by the Poles. Although Wang Xinyu's 2025 French Open journey has stopped in singles, she will still partner Zheng Saisai in the women's doubles match.

This fierce battle, which took 2 hours and 44 minutes, was not only a battle for Raducanu's name after returning from injury, but also left a growth footnote for Wang Xinyu's clay season. The confrontation between the two young players may just be the prelude to more classic encounters in the future. (Source: Tennis Home Author: Mei)