SportsRaducanu Plays Through Injury, Knocked Out Of Australian Open

Raducanu Plays Through Injury, Knocked Out Of Australian Open

January 20, (THEWILL) – Montenegrin Danka Kovinic sent US Open winner Emma Raducanu out of the second round of the Australian Open after the latter failed to overcome a serious hand injury.

Raducanu was plagued during her encounter with the Montenegrin, taking many breaks to care to a strapping on her right hand, despite winning her Australian Open debut against Sloane Stephens on Tuesday.

Raducanu’s evident blisters posed a struggle throughout, especially on service, and Kovinic took advantage to survive a gruelling match, winning 6-4 4-6 6-3.

For the first time in her career, the 27-year-old has advanced to the third round of a major, defeating the most recent Grand Slam champion with a brilliant display despite making numerous errors of her own.

She might meet Simona Halep in the third round, with the Romanian set to face Beatriz Haddad Maia on Rod Laver Arena later on Thursday.

Raducanu, like in her first match against Stephens in Melbourne, got out to a flying start against Kovinic, unfurling a beautiful array of opening ground strokes to surge to a 3-0 lead. But her Montenegrin opponent fought back, drawing level with successive breaks as Raducanu was forced to take a medical timeout to reapply strapping due to a painful hand ailment.

Kovinic won her fourth game in a row, and she set up a chance to serve for the set after breaking for the third time when Raducanu’s high lifted ball sailed wide.

Raducanu had no choice but to answer, which she did. The British teenager broke back with a clinch with her left hand, manipulating Kovinic brilliantly with specific use of the front-court.

On the other side, Raducanu’s blistering continued to cause her trouble on serve. She lost the first set to Kovinic, who was able to sit on a serve that was not quite at top tilt. Then, Kovinic broke Raducanu to love after the 19-year-old fired a backhand into the net.

It meant the US Open winner would have to come back from a set down to win at a Grand Slam for the first time in her young career, and she started brightly, breaking in the first game of the second set and looking visibly thrilled before securing a crucial hold.

Raducanu had another chance to break at 2-4 after another medical stoppage to treat her blisters, but she let a break point slip.

It paid Kovinic dearly when she got a tough hold and then broke herself, with the teenager now employing a lot of slice forehands in an apparent attempt to protect the injury.

Raducanu, on the other hand, was far from finished. She converted the second of two break points to bring the match to a deciding set with a hard-fought last hold. Raducanu would have to contend with a second consecutive three-setter after completing her maiden Grand Slam in New York without needing a single decider.

It was 2-1 on serve when the players traded breaks, the 11th and 12th in an incredible encounter.
Raducanu was the unlucky party in the 13th, as Kovinic pounced on the indisposed serve once more.

And when a hold got her close to victory, the Montenegrin won in just under three hours, applauding the audience following a career-best Grand Slam performance.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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