Emma Raducanu suffered her first lack of 2022 to Elena Rybakina within the Sydney Traditional lower than per week earlier than the beginning of the Australian Open.
The 19-year-old is about to participate in her first Grand Slam since her historic US Open win and had hoped to arrange for the competitors by successful the Sydney Worldwide.
Nevertheless, Rybakina – who’s presently ranked thirteenth on this planet, 5 locations larger than Raducanu – beat the GB star 6-0, 6-1 in simply 55 minutes of motion.
Emma Raducanu suffered her first lack of 2022 to Elena Rybakina within the Sydney Traditional
Raducanu’s defeat got here within the opening-round of the Sydney Worldwide. She was initially meant to face Iga Swiatek – world No 9 and 2020 French Open champion.
Nevertheless, Swiatek withdrew from the competitors with a rib harm and was changed in her seeded place by world No 13 Rybakina.
The change ought to have been beneficial for Raducanu – who was making her return to tennis after withdrawing from final week’s Melbourne Summer season Set.
She was initially meant to face Iga Swiatek – world No 9 and 2020 French Open champion – however ended up dealing with world No 13 Rybakina (above) as a substitute
Rybakina (left) beat the 19-year-old star (proper) 6-0, 6-1 in simply 55 minutes of motion
The 19-year-old withdrew from the competitors as she felt it was ‘too quickly’ to compete once more after beforehand testing optimistic for coronavirus forward of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi in December.
However, Raducanu returned to the courtroom for the primary time this season to face Rybakina.
The British participant was over-powered by her opponent, recent off a run to the ultimate of the Adelaide Worldwide final week, and misplaced the primary 9 video games of the match.
Raducanu flashed a smile after avoiding the indignity of a shut-out within the tenth recreation however she continued to be let down by a second-serve share.
The British participant (above) was over-powered by her opponent, recent off a run to the ultimate of the Adelaide Worldwide final week
The Sydney Worldwide marked Raducanu’s eighth skilled event and the defeat got here throughout her first match underneath her new coach Torben Beltz (left)
The 19-year-old gained simply 50 per cent of her first serves and 13 per cent of her second in the course of the opener.
Whereas her opponent, Rybakina, gained 82 per cent of her first serves and 57 per cent of her second.
Raducanu saved the primary two match factors towards her with arguably her two finest pictures of the match, earlier than succumbing to the inevitable as Rybakina eased into the final 16.
The Sydney Worldwide marked Raducanu’s eighth skilled event and the defeat got here throughout her first match underneath her new coach Torben Beltz.
The 19-year-old gained simply 50 per cent of her first serves and 13 per cent of her second within the opener. Whereas Rybakina gained 82 per cent of her first serves and 57 per cent of her second
However, Beltz – who helped Angelique Kerber win two of her three Grand Slam titles and declare the world No 1 spot – will likely be assured Raducanu can flip it round in time for Australian Open.
The British star has simply six days to rediscover her kind forward of the season-opening Main.
She is going to enter her third Grand Slam event as the seventeenth seed in comparison with her qualifier and wildcard standing finally 12 months’s US Open and Wimbledon.