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Draper and Raducanu to face each other in first round of US Open mixed doubles
Emma Raducanu
Fifty years ago this month, Britain faced its hottest summer on record, as welterweight champion Stracey met his match in Mexico’s Palomino, writes JOHN WIGHT.
Including races at Newcastle, York and Chester
BRITISH number ones Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu will face each other in the first round of the revamped US Open mixed doubles.
The mixed doubles has been moved to before the main tournament on August 19 and 20, with $1 million (£750,000) in prize money at stake for the winners of the 16-pair event.
Draper will play with the US’s Jessica Pegula after their original partners, Paula Badosa and Tommy Paul, both withdrew.
With both inside the top five in the singles rankings, the pair have been handed the top seeding and will kick off their campaign against wild-card pair Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz.
The winners could face 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic and his partner Olga Danilovic if the Serbian pair overcome Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev.
Venus Williams, at the age of 45, faces Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev alongside compatriot Reilly Opelka.
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