Emma Raducanu loses point on serve against ball boy in Champions Tennis exhibition match
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Updated 28/11/2021 at 14:14 GMT
“He’s just broken the serve of US Open champion Emma Raducanu”. The US Open champion was facing Elena-Gabriela Ruse and leading in the first set when the Romanian called on ball boy to face down the serve of the 19-year-old. The match was Raducanu's first on British soil since her historic win at Flushing Meadows earlier in the year.
Emma Răducanu
Image credit: Getty Images
Emma Raducanu won her first match back in the UK since her US Open triumph in the summer, beating Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania in the Champions Tennis exhibition at London's Royal Albert Hall.
However, the main talking point of the match came in the first set when Ruse called on a ball boy to play for break point against the 19-year-old… which he won!
At 5-1 up and 30-40, Raducanu was on serve and the youngster was able to return at the third attempt, charging towards the net to maintain a seven-shot rally before an overhead backhand to claim the point to the joy of the watching crowd.
“He’s got it, he’s got the break” said BBC’s Gigi Salmon on commentary.
“He must have been watching Greg Rusedski all week, it’s a chip and charge,” added Claire Curran. “That’s brilliant net play”
The umpire and Raducanu chose to ignore the fact the ball boy had grabbed the net during the point to which Salmon remarked: “Quite literally net play – hanging on for dear life. But it doesn’t matter. There’s the break.
“Congratulations to that young man, he’ll remember that for a fair while.
“He’s just broken the serve of US Open champion Emma Raducanu”.
Raducanu went on the win the first set 6-3 before taking the second on a tie-break 7-6.
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