Emma Raducanu the envy of her peers after hitting jackpot with Serena Williams draw
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There was once a time when drawing Serena Williams in the first round of a tournament was seen as an unfortunate stroke of bad luck. The 23-times grand-slam singles champion used to be so dominant that opponents would often be mentally beaten before even stepping on to the court.
By stark contrast, Emma Raducanu must have felt like she had landed the jackpot when news came through of the Cincinnati Open draw on Friday evening. The one-in-40 chance of being pitted against Williams came off when the unseeded American was randomly placed into position No 39 on the draw sheet. Raducanu, seeded No 10, had already been slotted into position No 40.
Ever since Williams, 40, announced her upcoming retirement last Tuesday, there has been
