Emma Raducanu’s Australian Open ended in the second round with an error-filled loss to Anastasia Potapova.
The British number one had hoped for a rematch with world number one Aryna Sabalenka, but fell from a promising ranking and lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-2.
It’s no surprise that Raducanu was below his best here, having suffered a foot injury during pre-season and arrived in Melbourne without a match or preparation.
She wasn’t helped by windy conditions that accentuated her mistakes, and now she has to look to work on the practice courts she’s been missing.
Although the pair had never played in a competitive match, Raducanu was well aware of Potapova’s talent, and the 24-year-old was a top junior in her age group.
Potapova became the latest player to switch from the Russian national team at the end of last season and now plays under the flag of her adopted country of Austria.
Outside the top 50, he has fallen back from his best 21st place in the rankings, with Raducanu initially in the lead, but in difficult conditions both riders’ mistakes far outweighed the winners.
It took six games for either player to hold serve, and although Raducanu appeared to be in control at 5-3, she was unable to clinch the set as Potapova stepped up her level and took a strong tie-break.
Laducanu looked less confident in her game and the cries of “Rado” from her Australian superfan James Bray became less and less common. James Bray has been receiving a lot of media attention since the former US Open champion invited Raducanu to all his matches.
When she dropped her serve twice at the start of the second set, she put her head down and, although she quickly got one break back and gave her some hope, she immediately double-faulted and fell behind 4-1.
Raducanu had 28 unforced errors.
His final backhand found the back of the net, bringing Raducanu’s total to 28 unforced errors, leaving Cameron Norrie the only British player in singles, and Arthur Ferry losing 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, 6-3 to Thomas Martin Etchevery.
“I thought it was a very difficult match in the conditions in the first set,” Raducanu said. “I found it difficult to get used to the liveliness outside. Also, the wind was quite strong from one side, so it didn’t feel very comfortable. I didn’t feel like I coped particularly well.”
“Still, I still had a chance in the first set, but I still have one day where I don’t feel so good on court.
“But credit to her. I thought she found a better solution in the first set and played really well in the second set.”
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Raducanu admits he wants to play differently after second-round defeat in Melbourne
Sabalenka, Gauff and Mboko advance to third round
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka overcame a tough first set to advance to the third round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over China’s Bai Zhuoxuan at Rod Laver Arena.
Sabalenka, the 2023 and 2024 champion, led 5-0 but suffered a setback when Bai held serve and broke the Belarusian.
The Chinese player, ranked 702nd in the world, began to frustrate her opponent, winning three games in a row and eventually ending the set as Sabalenka became increasingly agitated.
However, the 27-year-old steadied herself at the start of the second set and showed off the class difference between the pair, winning four more games in a row and ultimately confirming her place in the next round.
“It’s a tricky opponent. She really attacked from the first set. For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. She destroyed it,” Sabalenka said.
“I was really happy to finish that set. I think it gave me a little bit more confidence that I was there, that my game was there. Let’s just focus on it one step at a time.”
“There are always small gaps to improve on, but I was happy in that match because I didn’t lose, I focused and I told myself, one step at a time, I’ll come back,” Sabalenka added.
“It’s okay, just keep fighting and keep trying. I’m glad you did well.”
Third seed Coco Gauff defeated Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the third round.
Danilovic defeated Venus Williams in the first round, but fell behind 5-0 after just 22 minutes, and her chances against the other American Grand Slam champion looked slim when a double fault on set point gave Gauff the lead.
There was no rest in the second set, as Gauff made another break early to take a 3-0 lead, but Danilovic had no answer to her court coverage and accurate groundstrokes.
Gauff then converted a break point to clinch the bout and book a three-round matchup with compatriot Haley Baptiste.
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko advanced by defeating American Katie McNally 6-4, 6-3. Trailing 3-0 in the second set, the 19-year-old Mboko came back with a six-game winning streak.
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