Emma Raducanu was forced to call the physio after losing the first set of her second-round match at the Slovenia Open. The top seed led Anna-Lena Friedsam 5-3 but lost four games on the bounce as the German took the opener 7-5, with Raducanu needing a medical time out to get her left thigh heavily bandaged up.
Raducanu is playing in her first tournament since crashing out of the US Open in the first round, after arriving in New York as the defending champion. Now down to No 83 in the world as a result, she is beginning her climb back up the rankings at this week’s WTA 250 event in Portoroz.
The Brit played an impressive first match against Dayana Yastremska and was leading 6-2 5-3 30-0 when the Ukrainian injured her wrist and was forced to retire. And she started strong in the second round aganst Friedsam, leading 5-3 before losing four successive games to drop the opening set.
Raducanu then called the physio to the court, requiring a medical time out as she had her left thigh heavily strapped before continuing the match in the second set. It appeared to work, as she broke to start set number two and was also given anti-inflammatories though did not take a second and final medical time out as her leg continued to bother her.
JUST IN: Roger Federer announces he’ll retire at Laver Cup in emotional message
The top seed in Portoroz then raced to force a decider as she took the second set 6-0, though things became more competitive in the third and final set. Raducanu could still be seen shaking her leg out, and shouted in frustration when the qualifier held for a 2-1 lead after one of her shots was called out, disagreeing with the decision.
“No, no, no, no, no,” she cried. “No way, that’s the biggest hook I’ve ever seen,” she added, referencing what she believed was a backhand shot that curled down onto the line, but the umpire called it out with Friedsam also raising her hand to challenge when she thought there was no call coming.
DON’T MISS
Roger Federer told retirement hasn’t been made ‘on his own terms’
Roger Federer fans complain queue ‘collapsed’ on Laver Cup website
Roger Federer tributes flood in as tennis star’s rivals pay homage