12:29 AM
Raducanu* 4-1 Williams (*denotes next server)
Williams roars with frustration as she hits another double fault, 15-30. Superb backhand up the line by Raducanu, 15-40. Raducanu is keeping her cool and delivering on the court.
Williams’ ace, here first of the match, saves the first break point. But Raducanu gets the second break after 17 minutes when Williams puts a forehand long.
12:26 AM
Raducanu 3-1 Williams* (*denotes next server)
First sign of Williams’ magic as she hits a gorgeous drop shot winner, 15-15. Raducanu never saw it coming.
Raducanu responds with an ace, 30-15. Another ace from Raducanu and she holds. Brilliant early serving from the Briton.
12:21 AM
Raducanu* 2-1 Williams (*denotes next server)
Better from Williams as she gets Raducanu on the run now and Raducanu puts a defensive backhand long, 30-0.
Williams does get on the scoreboard with a hold to 15. The fans like that!
12:18 AM
Raducanu 2-0 Williams* (*denotes next server)
Williams’ erratic start continues as she places a volley wide, 15-0. Lovely point by Raducanu as she gets Wiliams on the run and puts away a cross court forehand winner, 30-15.
Williams forehand return long, 40-15. Another Williams backhand error.
Ideal start by the US Open champion.
12:14 AM
First Set: Emma Raducanu* 1-0 Serena Williams (*denotes next server)
Clean hitting from both players on the opening point before Williams nets a backhand. Another error by Williams and it’s 0-30.
Williams double fault, second serve was well long. Three break points. And Raducanu gets the early break when Williams nets a backhand.
An error strewn start by the American.
12:11 AM
Prediction time!
Greg Rusedski and Martina Navratilova both go for Raducanu citing Williams’ lack of match fitness.
12:06 AM
Coin toss
Early win for Williams as she wins the coin toss and opts to serve first.
12:03 AM
Here we go!
We see Raducanu, standing alone, waiting for Williams to come down the tunnel.
After a minute or so, both players are ready and are announced onto the court. An incredible reception for Williams in what might be her final match in Cincinnati.
11:58 PM
Kyrgios has been asked if he will be watching…
I probably won’t be brutally honest. Not that I’m not a fan of tennis and those two amazing players.
Let’s hope he will follow the match here!
11:56 PM
First sighting of Williams
The cameras have captured Williams in the tunnel warming up.
The American is getting the blood pumping with some skipping exercises.
11:54 PM
Clash of the generations
Raducanu has described the chance to play Serena Williams before the 23-time grand-slam singles champion retires as a “great gift”.
Raducanu faces Williams in the first round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, which is likely to be the American’s final tournament before the US Open, where the Briton is the defending champion.
Williams has indicated she will retire after competing at Flushing Meadows, the 40-year-old saying she was “evolving away from tennis, towards other things that are important to me”.
I think it’s gonna be an exciting match. I’m looking forward to it. It’s an amazing opportunity to play probably the best tennis player of all time. It’s probably going to be my last opportunity to ever play here.
I think that, for our careers to have crossed over, I think I’m really fortunate that I get to play here. Whatever happens, I think it’s gonna be a really good experience for me and something that I will remember for the rest of her life.
Expectations, I don’t really know, I don’t really care. I just want to go out there and, one, enjoy the match that I’m going to play whenever I do play it.
It’s a great gift to play the best on her way out of the sport. So I’m just looking forward to that.
11:45 PM
Weather update!
I’m hearing the courts are being dried as we speak so we shouldn’t be delayed too long.
11:40 PM
Tale of the tape
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Williams: 40 years old, 23 grand slams, 855 wins, 73 titles
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Raducanu, 19 years old, 1 grand slam, 87 wins, 1 title
11:33 PM
It’s raining!
We were expecting Raducanu and Williams to arrive on court at around midnight. But we have some unexpected rain in Cincinnati so we could be delayed.
Unlike Wimbledon where court covers are used, in America when the rain falls they use towels and a big drying machine!
10:13 PM
good evening
Welcome to our live coverage of Emma Raducanu vs Serena Williams in the first round of the Cincinnati Open.
It is the first meeting between the pair and comes at a tournament which stands as a key warm-up event for the US Open.
Raducanu’s form has been up-and-down since her stunning triumph at Flushing Meadows last year and she will be desperate for things to click into place ahead of her title defence.
Since last year’s US Open, the Briton has played in 16 tournaments and been knocked out by a lower-ranked player 14 times.
The Briton, who currently sits at No 10 in the world rankings, said the chance to play “the best of all time” was “a great gift”.
“I think it’s gonna be an exciting match,” Raducanu said in the build-up. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s an amazing opportunity to play probably the best tennis player of all time. It’s probably going to be my last opportunity to ever play here.
“I think that, for our careers to have crossed over, I think I’m really fortunate that I get to play here. Whatever happens, I think it’s gonna be a really good experience for me and something that I will remember for the rest of her life.
“Expectations, I don’t really know, I don’t really care. I just want to go out there and, one, enjoy the match that I’m going to play whenever I do play it.
“It’s a great gift to play the best on her way out of the sport. So I’m just looking forward to that.”
Raducanu’s historic win at Flushing Meadows came 22 years after Williams won her first major singles title in New York, aged just 17.
The winner of the match between Raducanu and Williams will face Victoria Azarenka in the second round after the Belarussian overcame Kaia Kanepi in three sets.