Raducanu Into Australian Open Main Draw After Davis Withdrawal

Emma Raducanu of Britain hits a return during her singles match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania at the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (AP)

10:06-3 January 2024 AD ـ 22 Jumada Al-Alkhirah 1445 AH

Raducanu Into Australian Open Main Draw After Davis Withdrawal

Emma Raducanu of Britain hits a return during her singles match against Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania at the ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. (AP)

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu moved into the main draw of the Australian Open after American Lauren Davis pulled out of the year's first Grand Slam with a shoulder injury, organizers said on Wednesday.

Raducanu, who beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse at the Auckland Classic on Tuesday in her return to action following wrist and ankle surgeries, has slipped to number 301 in the world and her protected ranking was not good enough for direct entry to the Melbourne Park Grand Slam.

The 21-year-old Briton was also overlooked for a wildcard and was set to take a similar path as her 2021 Flushing Meadows run when she became the first player in the Open Era to win a major after starting out in the qualifying rounds.

However, the exit of Davis, which followed withdrawals by Karolina Muchova, Petra Kvitova, Irina-Camelia Begu and Caty McNally, opened up a spot for Raducanu in the main draw of the Jan. 14-28 major.

Only a British Finalist, or his Children, Will Bring Murray to Wimbledon this Year

FILED - 10 July 2016, United Kingdom, London: British tennis player Andy Murray kisses the trohpy after winning the Wimbledon final against Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire/dpa

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06:23-26 June 2025 AD ـ 01 Muharram 1447 AH

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06:23-26 June 2025 AD ـ 01 Muharram 1447 AH

Only a British Finalist, or his Children, Will Bring Murray to Wimbledon this Year

Andy Murray said he has no plans to attend Wimbledon this year unless a British player makes the final, or his children want to go.

Murray, who won two of his three major titles at Wimbledon and ended Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles champion at the grass-court Grand Slam in 2013, said he rarely attends tennis matches as a fan.

"I don't have any plans to go," Murray, who lifted the title again in 2016, told British media.

"I'm not working there. I don't go to watch tennis as a fan. But if one of my kids wanted to go along and watch, I obviously would take them. If a British player made the final I'd go.

"I went to the Novak Djokovic v Carlos Alcaraz final a couple of years ago, just because I had a feeling it was going to be a great match. But I won't be there otherwise."

Murray, who will be immortalized with a statue during Wimbledon's 150th anniversary in 2027, ended his playing career after the Paris Olympics before joining the coaching team of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic ahead of the Australian Open.

That partnership failed to yield any trophies and ended before the French Open.

According to Reuters, Murray said British men's tennis was in good hands and he expected Jack Draper to cope with the added pressure after winning at Indian Wells in March and climbing the rankings to fourth in the world.

Draper will be seeded fourth when the Wimbledon main draw begins on Monday.

"It'll be a little bit different this year coming in as a top seed but he'll deal with it well," Murray said.

"He's played in difficult environments and under pressure before, and I'm sure he'll cope with it well."

Raducanu Into Australian Open Main Draw After Davis Withdrawal

Raducanu Into Australian Open Main Draw After Davis Withdrawal

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Only a British Finalist, or his Children, Will Bring Murray to Wimbledon this Year

Only a British Finalist, or his Children, Will Bring Murray to Wimbledon this Year

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