mma Raducanu’s harm woes of final season continued into 2023 as she pulled out of her second match of the yr on the ASB Classic with an ankle harm.
Raducanu didn’t drop a sport on her strategy to successful the primary set in opposition to Viktoria Kuzmova however the Slovakian fought again in a far tighter second set, which she gained 7-5.
The Briton turned her left ankle going for a ball late in that set and wanted therapy. The 20-year-old returned to courtroom with the ankle closely strapped however withdrew from the match in tears after only one extra level.
Raducanu’s first full season on the WTA Tour had been curtailed by harm and was finally dropped at a untimely finish by a wrist subject.
She had been working with energy and conditioning coach Jez Inexperienced, who was credited with serving to Andy Murray overcoming his personal early-career harm issues, over the course of the winter.
However this freak harm now casts a doubt over her participation within the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, which will get underneath approach in Melbourne in 11 days’ time.
Raducanu had loved a promising begin at her first event of the yr in Auckland, recovering from dropping the primary set to defeat Linda Fruhvirtova and win that first-round match.
Towards Kuzmova, she was ruthless from the outset as her opponent struggled to make any inroads, not successful a single level on her second serve all set.
The omens had been good for Raducanu to make a sixth profession quarter-final however her rival returned to courtroom a participant remodeled within the second set.
Raducanu had no scarcity of probabilities to interrupt however spurned alternatives in three consecutive service video games whereas Kuzmova took her likelihood when it provided itself as much as break and moved right into a 3-2 lead.
The previous US Open champion lastly bought the break to stage at 5-5, a double fault a limp approach for Kuzmova to surrender her benefit in spite of everything her earlier combat.
However Raducanu then took the tumble within the opening level of the following service sport. From there, she fell 0-40 behind and, though she saved two break factors she couldn’t defend the third.
Kuzmova then served out the set with back-to-back aces and, because it later transpired, the match with a 0-6, 7-5 scoreline following the ankle harm.
