Australian Open 2024 results: Emma Raducanu loses to Wang Yafan

Emma Raducanu battled valiantly before running out of steam as her Grand Slam return was ended by China’s Wang Yafan in the Australian Open second round.

Britain’s Raducanu, 21, was beaten 6-4 4-6 6-4 in only her fourth match back after wrist and ankle surgeries which kept her out for almost nine months.

Raducanu looked like she was going to be sick early in the third set and had her blood pressure checked by a doctor.

Despite that, she had chances to break back in the decider but Wang held on.

Raducanu’s exit came after Katie Boulter, who has taken over as British number one, lost to Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen on the same Kia Arena court.

They were bidding to set up an all-British meeting in the third round, but instead it is the Chinese pair who will meet on Saturday.

The defeats for Raducanu and Boulter mean there are no British players left in the women’s singles.

Cameron Norrie, who fought back from two sets down to win in five sets earlier on Thursday, is the only remaining player from the nation in the singles draws.

For any player coming back from such a long absence, it takes time to reach match sharpness and patience with their progress will be required.

With Raducanu, given the long list of physical and mental struggles she has endured since winning the 2021 US Open, even more caution is necessary.

Therefore it was unsurprising – but not necessarily worrying – to see Raducanu suffer physically in the deciding set of an intense battle with 94th-ranked Wang.

The way she scrapped throughout a three-hour contest, and showed glimpses of her undoubted quality, was encouraging and admirable.

In a testing breeze, Wang played precisely and smartly in the first set as Raducanu was made to pay for a slow start.

The former British number one was unable to recover from going a double break down and lost serve again in the first game of the second set.

When Raducanu faced two more break points at 1-1, it felt as though Wang’s solidity would be enough to win in straight sets.

But there was plenty to admire about Raducanu’s response.

She managed to increase her level, put an extra spring in her step, and immediately broke back for 2-2 at the fifth attempt.

When Wang again served into the wind at 4-3 down, Raducanu stuck in another baseline duel and finished off a 24-shot rally with a crosscourt forehand winner to move a break up.

Getting over the line was difficult. But competing on the biggest stages of all is where Raducanu wants to be and she showed her resilience.

Raducanu missed two set points on her own serve, but took a fourth opportunity in the next game to force a decider.

Both players took a breather before the third set started and Raducanu handed over an early advantage by missing a forehand which she would expect to put away.

Then came the breathing difficulties and feeling nauseous. When she trailed 2-0, she required an assessment from the doctor and the prescribing of some tablets.

Still Raducanu refused to give in. Four more break points came and went for the Briton before Wang served out to reach a Grand Slam third round for the first time.