In a match marked by momentum swings, world number 67 Antonia Ruzic recovered from an early break to beat the world number 25 Raducanu 6-1 5-7 6-2 in the first round of the WTA 1000 event.
In a match marked by momentum swings, world number 67 Antonia Ruzic recovered from an early break to beat the world number 25 Raducanu 6-1 5-7 6-2 in the first round of the WTA 1000 event.
Raducanu had been handed a late change of opponent, with Ruzic entering the draw as a lucky loser after Elisabetta Cocciaretto withdrew. On paper, the Croatian represented a more favourable matchup than the in-form Cocciaretto, especially after Ruzic arrived in Dubai on a five-match losing streak and had already fallen in qualifying to Rebecca Sramkova.
Despite that, Ruzic dominated the opening set, breaking Raducanu twice to race to a 6-1 lead as the Brit struggled to find rhythm. Raducanu then called for the trainer between sets and was seen taking medication during a medical timeout before play resumed.
The former US Open champion responded well in the second set, lifting her level and fighting back from 5-3 down. She broke Ruzic as the Croatian served for the match at 5-4, before securing another break two games later to force a decider.
Raducanu carried that momentum into the third set, winning six games in a row to take an early break. However, the tide turned once more as Ruzic reeled off six consecutive games of her own to seal the victory.
The defeat continues a worrying pattern for Raducanu, who had looked sharp earlier this month at the Transylvania Open, winning four straight matches to reach her first final since the US Open in 2021. She was beaten convincingly by Sorana Cirstea in that final and has now lost three matches in a row.
Notably, Raducanu has required some form of on-court medical treatment in all three defeats, including retiring against Camila Osorio in the opening round of the Qatar Open last week.
With fitness concerns mounting, Raducanu will now have a longer recovery window. She is not scheduled to return to action until Indian Wells Open, the third WTA 1000 event of the season.
