Emma Raducanu vs Serena Williams live: Cincinnati Open score and latest updates from first round

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 buildup. “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 her.

“I think that, for our careers to have crossed over, I think I’m really fortunate that I get to play her. 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 from 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.