Emma Raducanu suffers Abu Dhabi Open nightmare with another first-round defeat
Back-to-back first-round defeats.
Emma Raducanu has crashed out of the Abu Dhabi Open in the first round after Marketa Vondrousova beat the British star 6-3 6-4 on Tuesday.
The result means Raducanu has suffered back-to-back first-round defeats on the WTA Tour after her early exit at the Singapore Open last week.
Raducanu, ranked world No.56, is currently working without a full-time coach after her split with Nick Cavaday following the Australian Open.
The 2021 US Open champion, ranked inside the world top 10 three years ago, is still aiming to get back to her best after years of injury problems.
She was hoping to advance to the last 16 in Abu Dhabi but lost in straight sets to world No.37 Vondrousova, who clinched the 2023 Wimbledon title.
Raducanu was initially due to play in the qualifying rounds of a tournament this weekend for the first time since landing the US Open title in 2021.
The 22-year-old tennis star was instead upgraded to the main draw, though, where she was drawn to face fellow wildcard Vondrousova.
It proved to an an intriguing showdown between two former Grand Slam champions with Raducanu registering an early break to take the lead 3-1.
Vondrousova, though, quickly turned the match around and reached her top level as she reeled off five games in a row to take the first set 6-3.
The second set was a close-fought battle with only one break of serve but Vondrousova got the job done in the eight game to mark a 6-3 6-4 victory.
Raducanu registered 32 unforced errors and struggled against a powerful Vondrousova, with the Czech star impressing with her drop shots and lobs.
Vondrousova is now set to face fourth-seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open.
Raducanu, meanwhile, will head back to the practice courts to work on her game ahead of her next tournament appearance on the WTA Tour.
