Another week, another early exit for Emma Raducanu – and the inconsistency of her performances underlines the need for her to appoint a coach.
Since having to part ways with childhood mentor and coach Nick Cavaday, who was forced to step back on health grounds, Raducanu has faltered at the first hurdle on two occasions in nine days.
The first was a surprise defeat by Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in Singapore last week and the second a straight-sets loss to 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova on Tuesday at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she also appeared to suffer a neck problem.
After an explosive start by Raducanu, holding to love and then breaking to take a 3-1 lead in the first set, Vondrousova grew into the contest, capitalising on any opportunity to win 6-3, 6-4.
A match against Vondrousova was always going to be a tough challenge, but Raducanu found a way to threaten, pushing the left-handed player from the Czech Republic out wide and attacking on the front foot. But she was too often at the mercy of Vondrousova’s lethal drop shot and lob combination and made too many errors, losing crucial points, which affected the course of the match.
Raducanu started positively, winning 72.7 per cent of points on her second serve, but the bigger problems were on the first serve, winning less than 40 per cent of points in the opening set and only around 50 per cent overall.
When Vondrousova’s fightback started in the opening set, it set the tone for the match. After losing three service games in a row to go 1-0 down, Raducanu managed to hold at the start of the second, but was unable to kick on and build momentum to take the match into a third set.
Despite Vondrousova’s power and dangerous serve down the middle of the court, Raducanu was in the contest until midway through the second set. The problems only mounted after she appeared to slip in her final service game while fighting to take the game to a decisive set and her hand reached for her neck. From that point on the result was in little doubt.
Raducanu played some exceptional tennis at times, forcing Vondrousova onto the back foot, but was not consistent enough to threaten the outcome of the match. That is something a new coach will surely look to address when they are appointed.
She has struggled for stability both on and off the court since her US Open win in 2021. Cavaday’s departure means Raducanu is looking for her seventh full-time coach – Nigel Sears, Andrew Richardson, Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov and Sebastian Sachs have also held the role – in her 3½ years as a professional. She has also found it difficult to put together strong runs of form while ongoing fitness concerns have hampered her progress.
Raducanu has been plagued with injuries since that US Open triumph, undergoing surgery on both wrists and an ankle, and most recently suffered back spasms before the Australian Open.
In Abu Dhabi, she again looked troubled at times. At 3-4 behind and 30-0 up in the second set, Raducanu pulled up suddenly in the aftermath of her serve while trying to return a baseline shot. Shortly afterwards, she made unforced errors that allowed Vondrousova to secure a position from which to take the second set, and the match.
If that problem develops into a more significant issue for Raducanu – and there were suggestions earlier in the match that she might call out a trainer – it would be an early test for new fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura and for whoever is appointed to replace Cavaday.
03:36 PM GMT
Raducanu out in the first round for second tournament in succession
Raducanu played some decent strokes but 32 unforced errors and Vondrousova’s powerful, counter-punching style combined with some soft-handed delicacy with drop shots and lobs proved too much.
03:34 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 4-6 Vondrousova
Raducanu is undone by another audacious lob to concede the first point, flapping her volleyed response over her shoulder and out.
At love-15, Raducanu pans a fairly routing backhand groundstroke into the net. Love-30.
Another wild Raducanu error, hooking a backhand miles too wide, gives Vondrousova three match points.
She defends the first by firing a chip at Vondrousova’s toes and the second with a forehand winner off the return up the line.
But when she goes to the net Vondrousova chips another low ball that Raducanu frames into the net.
Game, set and match Vondrousova
03:29 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 4-5 Vondrousova* (*server)
Well, well, well. More double faults from Vondrousova, she’s now up too nine, and when Raducanu smokes a cross-court forehand winner off the second serve, she breaks back to keep the match alive.
03:26 PM GMT
Raducanu*3-6, 3-5 Vondrousova (*server)
Having just written that, Raducanu is broken to 30 after being 30-love up. ‘Trying to get out of the point too early,’ says the commentator. Yes. That’s right. Too often she has gone for the winner instead of digging in.
Vondrousova to serve for the match.
03:21 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 3-4 Vondrousova* (*server)
Apologies, my TV went on the blink for the first couple of points but was back to normal just as Raducanu spanked a backhand winner up the line to take it to deuce. Vondrousova wins the next point with her drop shot but Raducanu twice drags her back to deuce with an excellent forehand drive and a sliced chip the second time.
Vondrousova entices Raducanu to the net and closes the gap herself to play a wonderful pass with the softest of wrists. Vondrousova holds by winning the next point on the back of a booming serve.
But Raducanu is battling well. There have been 38 points on Vondrousova’s service in this set and only 18 on Raducanu’s.
03:12 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 3-3 Vondrousova (*server)
Vondrousova takes Raducanu to deuce and it’s then that the Briton shows her guts and class with a backhand crosscourt winner followed by an unreturnable wide serve that catches her opponent on the hop.
Raducanu has looked the most threatening in the match so far when attacking on the front foot and pushing her opponent out wide.
Vondrousova however has not made that easy to do, despite double-faulting on occasion, her drop shot and lob combinations have often left Raducanu stranded at the net looking at the ball fly over her head and bounce in.
While every Raducanu service match almost feels like it will go down to the wire, there is not as much tension when Vondrousova steps up behind the baseline.
03:08 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 2-3 Vondrousova* (*server)
Vondrousova’s lob is a lethal weapon, following the most delicate of drop shots by making her opponent look over her shoulder forlornly. At 40-15, though, she makes her sixth double fault but Raducanu then fires her backhand into the top of the net and emits an anguished yelp when it falls back on her own side. Radders is going forward but by traversing rather than going straight up in terms of her progress this past year.
03:03 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 2-2 Vondrousova (*server)
When Raducanu gets the length of her forehands right, pushing Vondrousova deeper and deeper, she generally wins the point as she does here, racing to 40-love.
And then holds in the shortest game of the match a wee bit flukily at the net with an overhead that seems to hit the very top of the strings or even the frame but stays in.
02:58 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 1-2 Vondrousova* (*server)
For the second receiving game in a row Raducanu makes early inroads by pushing her shots deeper and deeper, making her opponent uncomfortable and ultimately falter but at love-30 she draws the Czech woman to the net but misses the crosscourt pass.
Raducanu chips with poise and delicacy to earn two break points which Vondrousova defends with a sizzling forehand winner followed by a big serve up the T.
Vondrousova’s attempted forehand winner up the line hoops out and it’s a third break point that is again defended, this time with a forehand crosscourt winner. And the former Wimbledon champion climbs out of the hole by virtue of big serves up the T.
02:53 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 1-1 Vondrousova (*server)
That seemed to be an emphatic yes after Raducanu wins the first three points on her serve but Vondrousova’s power of recovery twice allows her to fire winning passes after poor strokes left her seemingly floundering.
Mercifully for the Briton, though, she stays in the next rally long enough to patiently wait for the error that comes and gives her a hold to 30.
02:50 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 0-1 Vondrousova* (*server)
At love-30 Raducanu has an opportunity to wrest back control but some wild shots give Vondrousova the next three points. Raducanu rallies to take it to deuce by pushing her opponent wide on her forehand side and her fitness coach, resplendent in his Stoney top as if a member of the ICF, applauds when Raducanu’s terrific drop shot earns her a break point.
Vondrousova’s deft forehand picks off the next two points and she seals the hold with a second ace.
Now can Raducanu hold her serve for the first time since the third game of the match?
02:41 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6 Vondrousova (*server)
Fearsome forehand crosscourt winner from Vondrousova ties it up at 15-all and then Raducanu smacks a backhand into the net. When she also nets a forehand, Vondrousova has two set points.
Her third unforced error in succession yields the set and a third break of serve to Vondrousova. It has all gone pear-shaped for Raducanu.
02:39 PM GMT
Serve holding up
Emma Raducanu looks to have started to address the problems on her serve that affected her Australian Open and played a significant role in her first round exit in Singapore.
After seven games in the opening set, Raducanu has only served up one double fault and won 70 per cent of points on her second serve.
However, the first serve is still lacking power, and she has won less than 50 per cent of points on it.
Vondrousova might have started slowly, but she has grown into the contest and the left-handed player from Czechia has the advantage.
02:37 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-5 Vondrousova* (*server)
Excellent running forehand pass from Raducanu shows her skill and guile but the errors are creeping in, leaving too many back court shots short and giving Vondrousova the chance of taking them at the optimal height around the hip.
When Raducanu pans a backhand long, her opponent holds to 30.
02:33 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-4 Vondrousova (*server)
Vondrousova’s power is beginning to tell and her volleying too as the confidence starts to flow. She moves to 15-40 and bags the double break when she chips her return low and elicits the mistake from Raducanu who can’t get under these low balls.
Vondrousova breaks serve.
02:30 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-3 Vondrousova* (*server)
Vondrousova racks up two more double faults and gives Raducanu two break points but she defends the first of them on her first serve and the second when she pulls Raducanu into the net with a drop shot that stops short and Raducanu has to sprint to retrieve to set up a terrific lob.
Vondrousova holds with a wide first serve that Raducanu can only hit horizontally.
02:26 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-2 Vondrousova (*server)
Having seized a break, Raducanu concedes a love-40 lead to her opponent, troubled by the lowness of her returns, but defends the first break point confidently and then smears a forehand winner up the line to defend the second.
She pumps her fist when she makes it three break points saved having kept peppering Vondrousova’s forehand until the error came. At deuce Raducanu swings for a forehand winner but hooks it too long then defends a fourth break point with two-fisted backhand crosscourt spin until another forehand error comes.
Here comes a fifth after Raducanu’s forehand cross-court sailbetween the tramlines. A fifth defence is successful too when Vondrousova nets her return but after the best and longest rally of the match in which the Czech manipulate sher opponent from side to side. Raducanu will have a sixth defend.
And this time she can’t, lobbed at the net after another entertaining rally.
02:15 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-1 Vondrousova* (*server)
A double fault from Vondrousova opens the door until she slams it shot with a terrific, deep forehand drive that Raducanu cannot get back but after a drop shot duel Vondrousova takes on the lob and launches it too far.
Hang on! Back-to-back double faults hand the break to Raducanu.
02:12 PM GMT
Raducanu* 2-1 Vondrousova (*server)
Raducanu’s first serve is fine from her deuce court but twice she needs second serves from the ad court and at 40-love, the second of them is munched back with a forehand winner. is it because she’s wary of serving to the lefty’s forehand? But that minor wobble apart, it’s a routine hold. Raducanu is moving well.
02:07 PM GMT
Raducanu 1-1 Vondrousova* (*server)
Raducanu’s blistering backhand return up the line takes the game to love-15 before Vondrousova nails a couple of powerful first serves, the first an ace and then one that Raducanu cannot keep in bounds. But at 30-all after an unforced error, Raducanu flays a forehand winner to earn break point and, though it seems she tales that opportunity Vondrousova challenges the call of ‘out’ on her forehand drive and she is right. Deuce. Raducanu says the point should be replayed as the call meant she didn’t make a shot but the umpire gives her short shrift.
At deuce Raducanu balloons forehand long after a lengthy baseline rally and Vondrousova holds with an ace up the T.
02:01 PM GMT
Raducanu* 1-0 Vondrousova (*server)
Raducanu starts by serving from the far end and wins the first two points, one on her first serve and the second, encouragingly on her second serve when Vondrousova nets fairly routine forehands. The net helps her out again when she gets a lucky net cord bounce and holds her hand up in apology after it leaves Vondrousova stranded.
And she seals the hold to love with a backhand cross-court winner. Fine start.
01:54 PM GMT
The players come out
Marketa Vondrousova, who has played one (uncompleted) match since Wimbledon, has a heavily strapped left thigh.
01:39 PM GMT
Bencic wins
6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and will play Veronika Kudermetova in round two.
01:36 PM GMT
This match begins after Bencic vs Sramkova ends
Which it should write soon as Bencic is 5-1 up in the third set.
12:06 PM GMT
Preview: Two grand-slam title-winners turned wild cards
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Abu Dhabi Open first round match between the 2023 Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova and the 2021 US Open winner, Emma Raducanu who comes into the tournament in the not unusual position of having parted ways with her coach, this time Nick Cavaday, her childhood mentor who has had to step back on health grounds. Cavaday oversaw something of a renaissance as Raducanu battled back from the injury-ravaged wilderness of a world ranking in the 300s back up to No 60 last year but it has been a frustrating progress, spells of two steps forward, one step back followed by one step forward, two steps back.
Raducanu takes on the left-hander from Czechia having been knocked out of the Singapore Open in the first round by Cristina Bucsa as her serve cracked once again. A week earlier Iga Swiatek had brutally snuffed out her Australian Open campaign after she made the third round for the first time by devouring her flimsy second serve to leave her bagelled and baguetted at 6-0,6-1 and unless anything has changed one would expect the powerful Vondrousova to pounce on any unreliability.
Having said that, Vondrousova is battling back from an injury-blighted year herself after being plagued by shoulder, hand and back issues, the last of which kept her out of the Australian Open after sustaining it in her comeback at Adelaide. Yesterday she proclaimed herself well and fighting fit, looking forward to taking on a “great player” whom she defeated in their last meeting but lost to at Wimbledon in 2021. Fourth seed Yulia Putintseva awaits in R2.
Raducanu is relaxing by returning to Jane Austen and reading Emma this week having enjoyed Pride and Prejudice at school. Would that the famous opening line still applied in its entirety to this Emma’s career of late: “Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her”…
