SINGAPORE — Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and one of the headliners of this week’s new WTA 250 event, was expected to be there at the end of the inaugural Singapore Tennis Open.
Instead, she suffered a first-round exit from No. 101 Cristina Bucşa 7-5, 5-7, 5-7 on the opening day of play at the Kallang Tennis Hub, the most notable injury being It is done. In a marathon battle that just passed 3 hours.
Raducanu’s aggressive risk-versus-reward gamble seemed to reap dividends early on as he went into the lead right from the start.
Her sheer strength bailed her out of several precarious situations as she trailed 4-5 to take the first set.
However, as the match continued, the slim margin proved to be the case. A strong winner became a lingering unforced error.
One of the groundstrokes into the net in the second 5-5 gave Bucşa the decisive break to close the set.
Then, in a decider where neither player looked like they could find their service game, including seven breaks of serve in 12 matches, it was Bucşa who ultimately maintained his composure to take the win.
The disappointment at such an early exit was evident in the swiftness with which Raducanu exited back to the dressing room.
She expressed her excitement at finally being able to compete in a tournament in Singapore, a country where she feels ‘at home’, as top-level women’s tennis returns to the Southeast Asian nation for the first time since the WTA Finals. It was held here from 2014 to 2018.
But the most regrettable aspect may come from her assessment that she played better than she did a week ago. She reached the third round of the Australian Open but eventually lost to five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek. .
“I think I’m in a pretty good position in all respects and I actually think I played better than I did in Melbourne, so it’s ironic.” She said after the game, unable to hide her sarcastic smile.
“I think there was a really small margin in there, and honestly I thought we did pretty well today.
“She [Bucșa] “It was an unbelievable play, and that kept her going throughout the game.”
Due to significant struggles with fitness and resulting form following his historic US Open win, Raducanu’s start to the year was also affected by his separation from coach Nick Cavaday, who stepped down from mentoring him due to his health. problem.
Considering the breakup was only announced late last week, it means Raducanu will have to look for additional independence as he prepares for Singapore.
More importantly, she believes tough encounters like Monday’s loss will stand her in good stead.
“I have a positive side [from] I’ll be here alone this week [fitness coach] yutaka [Nakamura] “But I’m really proud of how I reacted and handled myself this week,” she explained.
“It’s okay. I think we all have things to take care of as the year goes on. I think it’s early in the season.
“All you need to play these types of games is time on the court and a competitive situation to play in. We got that today. We got it well over three hours. Feeling like we won every game. That’s why it’s really valuable.
“And I fought really hard. I gave everything. So I just have to keep improving and moving forward.”
Naturally, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Raducanu’s immediate future. It’s even up in the air now that she had initially planned to spend an entire week in Singapore, including Lunar New Year festivities.
“To be honest, I don’t know what my next step is,” the 22-year-old added. “I feel like a lot of things have changed over the past week.
“So I think we need to get back together and ask for advice. [events] I have to play it next time and I’m almost ready to go right away. Ready to keep creating.
“You just have to take it positively. [from Monday’s display] And realistically, realistically, emotionally, I feel like, ‘Yes, the level is rising.’
“I’m actually not sure what I’m going to do here. It depends on what I do.
“I really love Singapore. It’s a shame I can’t stay here longer. That’s it.
“I didn’t have much time to explore. [the city] But this year, because of the tournament. And I was too busy training. But this year, whether I like it or not, Singapore will always have a special place and the fans here are unbelievable.
“I felt so much support, so much love. I feel bad that I couldn’t get through it for them.”
