Emma Raducanu’s French Open campaign came to a premature end on Sunday, the first day of the second grand slam of the season.
The British No 1 had a disrupted build-up to Roland-Garros, having only played one clay-court match – a straight-sets defeat to Diane Parry in Strasbourg last week – after a two-month absence from the tour due to a post-viral illness.
Rustiness was evident in the early stages of her opener in Paris, as she lost a 25-minute first set 6-0 to Argentina’s Solana Sierra. The 21-year-old is ranked 68th in the world – 29 places below Raducanu – but is a clay-court specialist, having grown up playing on the surface.
Sierra stormed to a 4-1 lead in the second set but wobbled just as Raducanu found her stride, but despite forcing a tie-break the Briton ultimately fell 6-0 7-6(4), with the Argentine booking her place in the second round for the first time.
24-time major winner Novak Djokovic is also in action on a busy opening day in Paris. Former Olympic champions Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev both progressed serenely earlier in the day.
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Raducanu ‘understandably undercooked’ heading into French Open
A tough day for Raducanu, then, but former British No 1 Annabel Croft is candid about the reasons for it.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, she states: “Nothing will replicate the matches you need going into a Slam. She’s undercooked and it’s understandable.
“It will take time to build back up again.”
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-7 Solana Sierra
Solana Sierra will face either 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini or Dayana Yastremska in the second round.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-7 Solana Sierra
She made a bit of a meal of that, losing her nerve as Raducanu suddenly found a lot more fight, but ultimately she brought her best to that tie-break and came out on top.
Raducanu makes a swift exit, having at least avoided an ignominious defeat. It looked bad at 6-0 4-1 down, but she produced some much better tennis late on.
Sierra is into the second round of Roland-Garros for the first time in her career!
GAME, SET AND MATCH! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-7 Solana Sierra
Solana Sierra screams in delight and covers her head with her hands as she fires into the open court! She hugs Raducanu at the net, then runs over to celebrate with her box.
An hour and three-quarters on the clock.
MATCH POINT! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-6 Solana Sierra
A gorgeous cross-court backhand and Sierra has match point, on her serve! 6-4…
TIE-BREAK! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-6 Solana Sierra
Long from Sierra, and that lead has all but disappeared. 5-4 to the Argentine. Both players are throwing everything at this tie-break.
TIE-BREAK! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-6 Solana Sierra
That brutal backhand down the line is back and Sierra leads 5-1.
Raducanu digs out a sharply angled cross-court return and keeps herself in the rally, and with Sierra trying to cover the middle of the court the Brit fires in behind for 5-2.
Sierra nets, 5-3.
TIE-BREAK! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-6 Solana Sierra
That brutal backhand down the line is back and Sierra leads 5-1.
TIE-BREAK! Emma Raducanu 0-6, 6-6 Solana Sierra
A roar and a fist pump from Raducanu, and much of the crowd, as Sierra nets in the first rally.
A vicious forehand gets her back level at 1-1, and Raducanu goes long.
The Argentine bags a mini-break with another fierce cross-court winner. 4-1.
