Source: BBC
Wuhan, China: England’s Emma Raducanu, ranked first in Britain, was compelled to bow out of her first-round encounter at the Wuhan Open after battling through the hot and humid conditions in China against American Ann Li.
The 21-year-old was behind 6-1, 4-1 when she requested medical attention. Trainers took her blood pressure and temperature on court before she chose to withdraw from the match.
Raducanu appeared fatigued and lacking energy during the encounter. The temperature and humidity appeared to impact her performance, and she looked uneasy from early on in the second set.
Early Lead Slips Away
Raducanu got off to a good start, breaking Li’s serve in the first game. However, she was unable to maintain her lead. Li quickly found her rhythm, dominating the rallies to win six games in a row and take the opening set in only 28 minutes.
Raducanu began to show signs of fatigue during the second set. She was able to hold serve after hitting three double faults, but she then failed to convert two break points in the next game. Following some unforced errors, Li proceeded to lead 2-1 in the set. Another double fault from Raducanu resulted in Li breaking serve for the second time.
Shortly after, Raducanu requested a medical timeout and took a seat courtside so the medical staff could examine her. After a couple of minutes, she shook hands with her opponent and the umpire, and the match was called off.
Difficult Weather Conditions
Extreme heat has impacted the Wuhan Open this week, with temperatures hitting 34° C. Earlier in the week, play had to be suspended on outdoor courts because of the heat.
Multiple players experienced a similar situation in the Asian tournaments. For instance, defending champion Jannik Sinner retired with cramps during the Shanghai Masters, and Novak Djokovic vomited on court during his victory over Yannick Hanfmann.
Effect on Raducanu’s 2023 Season
Raducanu’s retirement adds to what has been a challenging time for the 2021 US Open champion. Since her triumph at the event in 2021, injuries and inconsistency have impacted Raducanu’s performance.
A lengthy stay in Wuhan might have proved beneficial to her world ranking and possibly got her seeded for the Australian Open in January. Now that she has been eliminated early, it will be more difficult to achieve that goal.
Whether Raducanu will finish playing in the Asian swing or will sit out to initiate her recovery before the year’s end is unclear.
Next stage
Due to Raducanu’s pullout, world number 46 Ann Li made it into the second round. She will meet the ninth seed from Russia, Ekaterina Alexandrova, who defeated Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko Monday in 6-3, 6-2 fashion.
