Raducanu Defeated by Ruzic in Dubai First Round
British No 1 Emma Raducanu was defeated 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 by Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic in the opening round of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Ruzic, ranked world No 67, won six consecutive games to secure the victory.
Match Overview
Raducanu faced an unexpected challenge after her original opponent, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, withdrew late due to fatigue. Despite this, Raducanu fought back in the second set to level the match and even took a 2-0 lead in the deciding set before losing momentum.
Ruzic, who entered the main draw as a 'lucky loser' after losing in the final round of qualifiers, capitalized on the opportunity against Raducanu, who had recently competed at the Qatar Open.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
In the first set, Raducanu fell behind 3-0 and was broken twice, allowing Ruzic to close the set in just 30 minutes.
Although Raducanu lost her serve to trail 5-3 in the second set, she responded with two breaks of serve, winning four consecutive games to take the set 7-5 and level the match.
Raducanu then secured a third consecutive break to lead 2-0 in the final set, but Ruzic regained control in a fluctuating contest, winning six straight games to claim the set 6-2 and the match after two hours and 20 minutes.
