Emma Raducanu Suffers Another Defeat at the Ningbo Open
British tennis player Emma Raducanu experienced physical difficulties once again, this time at the Ningbo Open, where she was eliminated in the first round on Tuesday.
This match marked her return to the court a week after retiring from her opening match in Wuhan due to dizziness in hot and humid conditions.
Raducanu shared an image on social media from a doctor’s office, indicating that she was feeling better. However, her performance declined after winning the first set against China’s Zhu Lin, ultimately losing with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Although there didn’t seem to be any concerns initially, as the temperatures were lower than the previous week, Raducanu showed signs of fatigue at the beginning of the second set, requesting medical assistance after seven games.
The situation worsened in the decisive set, where the 2021 US Open champion required medical attention again, this time due to lower back problems, and visibly affected, reached the end of the match.Raducanu did not have her coach Francisco Roig, who was in Barcelona. Instead, she was accompanied on the court by her training partner Alexis Canter and the fitness trainer Daniel Pohl.
Canter offered support and encouragement, while Raducanu managed to stay ahead during the first set, despite showing frustration and losing her serve twice.
The concern became evident in the second set when the 22-year-old player quickly found herself at a 2-0 disadvantage, showing slowness in her movements and being surpassed by Zhu, who, before an injury, was close to being among the top 30 in the world.
Raducanu fought to stay in the set, tying 2-2 and then 4-4 after consulting the doctor, where her blood pressure was taken, but finally missed a forehand on the set point in the tenth game.
After a bathroom break, the situation did not improve. Raducanu’s back problem, which has affected her on several occasions during the season, resurfaced.
In the decisive set, she doubled over repeatedly and requested a medical timeout after three games. Raducanu chose not to retire again, but her mobility was limited, and the match quickly came to an end.
