.(Pic credit:Twitter/Emma Raducanu)
Wuhan, October 7 (IANS) British number one Emma Raducanu retired midway from her first-round match against American Ann Li at the Wuhan Open due to dizziness after having her blood pressure and temperature checked.
The 2021 US Open champion made a solid start to her tournament debut, forcing a volley to break Li in the opening game. However, the American responded with a series of forehand winners, along with four aces, to win six consecutive games and take the first set.
By contrast, Raducanu's forehand wing consistently leaked errors. After she double-faulted to fall behind a double break in the second set, the Briton was visited on court by the doctor, and called it quits following that consultation, WTA reports.
Earlier this week, play was suspended on all outdoor courts in Wuhan due to temperatures reaching 34C. Defending champion Jannik Sinner also retired with cramp in the third round of the Shanghai Masters this week. In contrast, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic vomited during his win over Yannick Hanfmann.
World number 46 Li, however, will face Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-2, in the second round on Monday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Japanese four-time major winner Naomi Osaka, who hadn’t played in Wuhan since 2017, fought back to defeat Leylah Fernandez 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in two and a half hours, securing her first career win in Wuhan and progressing to the second round for the first time. It marked her fourth opening-match victory in seven WTA 1000 events this season.
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin edged past qualifier Anastasia Zakharova 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 after saving two match points when trailing 5-4 in the second set.
Meanwhile, Rebecca Sramkova, in her tournament debut, came from a break down in the third set to defeat Anna Kalinskaya. This is her fifth Top 30 win of 2025, and her first since June.
