Emma Raducanu went out of the Miami Open in the first round after losing in three sets to Canada’s Bianca Andreescu.
In a battle of the former US Open champions – Andreescu in 2019, Raducanu in 2021 – it was the Canadian who prevailed, with her baseline dominance ultimately proving the bedrock for her victory, despite an excellent second-set fightback from her British opponent.
It was the 22-year-old Andreescu who had the better of the opening exchanges on Hard Rock Stadium, taking her opening service game comfortably and then immediately putting Raducanu under pressure when the Brit stepped up to the line in game two.
And on her third break point of the game, Andreescu forced the early break to go 2-0 up.
She was pulling Raducanu around the court at will with her pacy, well-directed groundstrokes backed up by some powerful serving, and she swiftly moved onto a 3-0 lead in a one-sided affair.
3-0 became 4-1 after two holds, and though Andreescu was the player continuing to be in the ascendancy, Raducanu was hanging in there, saving break points in both of her subsequent service games to ward off the threat of first the double break, and then of losing the set.
It meant that Raducanu made Andreescu serve out the set herself at 5-3 ahead, which the Canadian ultimately did with few alarms to move halfway to victory.
Raducanu had looked a little flat in the first set, but crucially she got on the board straightaway in set two, and the match itself was a more even battle as the Brit seemed to be getting more joy from the frequent lung-busting rallies the pair were sharing.
That improvement took Raducanu to a strong position in the set at 4-3 ahead, and when an Andreescu forehand sailed long at 30-30, the 2021 US Open champion had just her second break point of the match.
Andreescu, however, had other ideas, saving that with an ace – but that was just the beginning of a mini-epic to end the game.
Raducanu carved out multiple break point opportunities as the momentum swung back and forth, with this looking more and more like the defining moment of the match.
And it went Raducanu’s way, as the Brit finally broke on her seventh break point to take a 5-3 lead. And when she served it out threafter, the match was one set all and beautifully in the balance.
Emma Raducanu of Great Britain plays a forehand against Bianca Andreescu of Canada in their first round match during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 22, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Image credit: Getty Images
Both players left the court ahead of the decider, and on the resumption it was Raducanu who looked immediately dialled in, generating 0-40 on Andreescu’s serve.
But the Canadian somehow escaped, and when Raducanu took her opening service game in more straightforward fashion, it was 1-1, and another long set was in prospect.
At 2-1 there was more drama and another ding-dong tussle, as this time it was Andreescu who kept knocking on the door, earning herself three break point chances – none of which she took, meaning Raducanu levelled things up at 2-2.
But that was to change when Raducanu next served, as Andreescu made the breakthrough and forged into a 4-2 lead.
She then saved a break point in her own subsequent service game to leave Raducanu on the brink at 5-2 down.
And Andreescu got it done without having to serve it out, as Raducanu was broken when she sent a forehand wide.
Andreescu will face No. 7 seed Maria Sakkari next.
– – –
Source: Euro Sports
