Emma Raducanu knocked out of Miami Open in first round after three-set defeat to Bianca Andreescu; Raducanu beaten 6-3 3-6 6-2 by fellow former US Open champion; defending champion Iga Swiatek withdraws from tournament due to a rib injury
Wednesday 22 March 2023 23:14, UK
Emma Raducanu suffered a first-round exit at the Miami Open after losing to Bianca Andreescu in a battle of former US Open champions.
Britain's Raducanu, who won the US Open in 2021, was beaten 6-3 3-6 6-2 by 2019 Flushing Meadows champion Andreescu, with the Canadian now advancing to play seventh seed Maria Sakkari in round two.
"Both of us have won a [Grand Slam], we're both good players," said Raducanu. "It was always going to be a difficult matchup but I think that there were definitely patches of some pretty good tennis in there."
Raducanu won three matches at Indian Wells last week before falling to world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the round of 16 in what was her first tournament since a second-round exit at the Australian Open in January.
Andreescu, whose run in Indian Wells last week was also ended by Swiatek, broke Raducanu in her first service game in the opening set, with the Brit then forced to save a break point at 1-4 down and a set point at 2-5.
Andreescu went on to clinch the set but was broken by Raducanu in the eighth game of the second set, as her opponent finally converted a seventh break point of an epic 21-minute game before levelling the match in her next service game.
Both players staved off break points early in the decider - Andreescu was 0-40 down in the opening game - only for the Canadian to then break to lead 4-2 before doing so again to claim victory in two hours and 33 minutes and take her winning record against Raducanu to 2-0.
The pair's previous meeting had come in Rome last year when Raducanu retired at a set and 2-1 down.
Raducanu is expected to return to action on clay in Stuttgart next month, with the 20-year "unavailable" for Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup clash with France in Coventry across April 14-15.
Raducanu indicated after her defeat to Andreescu that she will seek fresh advice on how to fix the wrist problems that have hampered her this season.
"It's something I've been managing for some time," she said. "I just need to review after this tournament really and figure out what my next steps are. I'm able to play in the short term but the current solutions aren't very viable long term.
"I feel like this year has been difficult in the sense that I have been managing a few existing injuries and that has been annoying and frustrating because I've been working as best as I can."
Swiatek, the defending champion in Miami after beating Naomi Osaka in last year's final, has withdrawn due to a rib injury that she sustained via heavy coughing during her win at the Qatar Total Open last month.
The 21-year-old, who was due to play American Claire Liu in the last 64 on Thursday after receiving a first-round bye, is planning on taking a break and will also miss the Billie Jean King Cup in April.
Swiatek wrote on social media: "In and after Doha I was struggling with a strong infection. I was allowed to play, but a strong episode of (a) tough cough led to a rib injury.
"We were trying to handle it and continue to play as long as it was safe for me. We were analysing the data in the last days and my doctor prepared my diagnosis.
"Unfortunately, I'm still feeling a lot of discomfort and pain and I can't compete. I need to take a break to recover and I have to pull out of the Miami Open and Billie Jean King Cup. It's a truly difficult call to not play... but health is the most important.
"I will keep you updated about where I play next, because it depends on my process of recovering and the recommendation of my medical team. I have the best team behind me, we only need some time to deal with the injury.
"I'm grateful this is the first health issue in a long time and I was able to compete in perfect shape for so long, but that's sports, it happens sometimes, without our control. Time to accept it and get well as soon as possible."
