Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Wuhan Open first round after taking a medical timeout in the second set against American player Ann Li on Tuesday. When Emma Raducanu decided to retire from the match, she trailed 6-1, 4-1 on Centre Court.
During the second set, Emma Raducanu appeared lightheaded and required medical attention, including blood pressure and temperature checks, after a double fault allowed Li to take a commanding lead.
Despite her recent resurgence, which saw Emma Raducanu reach the third rounds of both the US Open and Wimbledon, her recent performances in Asia have been challenging. She exited in the last 16 of the China Open and the last 32 of the Korea Open.
In Tuesday’s match, Emma Raducanu struggled to maintain her serve early in the second set, losing four consecutive games. Her opponent, world No. 46 Ann Li, expressed concern for Raducanu’s condition after the match. “I hope she feels better. I don’t know what happened, but towards the end, she wasn’t moving as much. It was a good match for me,” Li said.
With the victory, Li advances to face Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. Alexandrova earlier defeated Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-2.
On Monday, Emma Raducanu had shared a screenshot of her phone showing a scorching temperature of 34°C, which caused play to be suspended on all outside courts. The extreme heat has affected several players this week—men’s world No. 2 Jannik Sinner also retired from the Shanghai Masters due to cramps.
In response to the growing concerns, the ATP has announced it will consider introducing an official heat rule. As for Emma Raducanu, fans and fellow players hope the young Brit recovers quickly and returns to full strength for the upcoming tournaments.
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