British tennis player Emma Raducanu suffers a third straight defeat as she crashes out of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in the first round.
According to BBC, the 22-year-old lost in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Open after former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova beat her in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City.
Despite having a good start, she surrendered the first set and failed to take advantage of the wildcard main draw entry, while Vondrousova, who returned from a six-month break in January after shoulder surgery, successfully saved break points early in the second set before breaking for a 5-3 lead.
Vondrousova, in her on-court interview, said, “It was a tough match. She played some great rallies, and it was a battle to the end. So I'm very happy. I can't wait for my next match."
Notably, this is Raducanu's third consecutive defeat in a major tournament after her early exit from the 2025 Australian Open and Singapore Open last month.
Furthermore, Vondrousova will now face the fourth-seeded Kazakhstani tennis player Yulia Puntintseva in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
