Emma Raducanu out of Australian Open after losing to Wang in marathon

Emma Raducanu battled late into Thursday night in Melbourne Park, showing both her heart and physical frailty, but after an intense, dramatic tussle, Raducanu was defeated 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 by Wang Yafan of China in the second round of the Australian Open.

Two days after defeating Shelby Rogers in straight sets to win her first grand slam match on her return from an eight month layoff, Raducanu returned to the same court, 1573 Arena, searching for her first third round berth in Melbourne. With two British players, Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter, preceding her on the same court, the British support was loud and clear from the very beginning.

But after a rain-swept day in Melbourne, the slow, windy evening conditions were considerably different and presented a particular challenge for Raduucanu. As Raducanu tried to dictate rallies and consistently hit through Wang’s defence. She started the match sluggishly, making questionable decisions as she fell down a break at 1-2. Those early games would set the tone early on as she struggled badly to hit through her opponent and the conditions, her unforced error count rising.

A former top 50 player who fell out of the top 500 in 2023 due to lengthy absences and poor form, Wang returned with an edge last year, winning 37 of 40 matches on the ITF circuit last summer and rising back to her current ranking of No 97. Wang is small and relatively underpowered, but she moves extremely well, she is intelligent and in possession of a wicked topspin forehand that she uses to outmanoeuvre opponents.

As Raducanu struggled to find her range, Wang was faultless for much of the opening set. She chased down countless balls, she kept her unforced error count low and dictated with her forehand whenever possible. In the slower conditions, Raducanu struggled badly to hit through Wang and her error count continued to rise. After taking the first set, Wang immediately broke serve to take a 6-4, 2-0 lead.

Just as the match seemed to be moving away from her, Raducanu found a second wind. She began to look to hit with more width, dragging Wang off the court with angles and she remained strong in more lengthier rallies. Most importantly, Raducanu finally began to unload on her forehand, injecting it with pace and looking to dominate. Raducanu quickly retrieved the break, then she took control. Even after she failed to convert two set points on her serve at 5-3, she recovered to break for the set.

The final set began with some of the most intense exchanges of the match, with both players maneuvering each other around the court and practically every rally clearing nine-plus shots. Raducanu was clearly flagging and as she tried to catch her breath between points, the Briton began to cough and gag behind. Down 0-2, Raducanu took a medical time-out and she was provided with medication by the doctor.

Still, she refused to give in. By the time Wang navigated a third consecutive lengthy deuce game to lead 3-1, the wild, dramatic third set was already 48 minutes long. Raducanu fought hard, creating opportunities on Wang’s serve until the, but the Chinese player refused to relinquish her serve and she held on to seal a memorable victory.