Emma Raducanu is set to face Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Qatar Open (Image: Getty)
Emma Raducanu has a history with upcoming opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova. Raducanu and the Russian are due to meet at the Qatar Open on Sunday after the former US Open champion accepted a wildcard invitation for the tournament.
has suffered back-to-back first-round defeats in Singapore and Abu Dhabi but is keen to keep competing as she looks to push up the rankings. The in Doha will be a repeat of their meeting at the , which Raducanu won 7-6, 7-6.
That was despite admitting her serve had a “mind of its own” after hitting 15 double faults against the 26th seed. Raducanu, who went on to reach the third round, said: “I’m not sure what I changed in my serve today. I will be sure to reflect, look at that and come back to you.”
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Classy reaction to late withdrawal
Raducanu had been due to meet Alexandrova at last year’s , but her opponent withdrew due to illness on the eve of the match. She wasn’t given a walkover, though, with ‘lucky loser’ Renata Zarazua taking Alexandrova’s place in the Centre Court showdown.
After beating the Mexican 7-6, 6-3, Raducanu was asked if there should be a minimum allotted time for a player to withdraw a game before their opponent receives a walkover. Showing her class, Raducanu, whose career has been blighted by injury, replied: “I think it’s difficult because I’ve been on the player’s side. You’re always hoping, when you wake up in the morning, you’re going to feel a lot better.
“Whether it’s with illness, whether it’s with injury. You’re like, ‘Okay, I’m going to see how it is in the morning’. I think it is good how it is, to be honest. It’s just more having to deal with those consequences.”
Flushing Meadow tears
The pair met at the US Open in 2022, albeit on the practice court. Raducanu entered the tournament as the defending champion following her stunning 2021 success as an 18-year-old.
However, 12 months later, injuries were beginning to hit hard. After 40 minutes of knocking up, Raducanu was forced to pause due to discomfort in her hand.
She carried on but stopped again a few minutes later with a look of anguish on her face. While discussing things with her coach, Raducanu appeared to be fighting back tears as the pair discussed what to do next.
Following the session, she played down her apparent discomfort, insisting “a couple of blisters” on her hand were giving her trouble. However, it was clear all was not well as Raducanu fell at the first hurdle to Alize Cornet in straight sets to become just the third woman in US Open history to lose her opening match a year after winning the title.
Ekaterina Alexandrova and Emma Raducanu after their Australian Open meeting (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, Raducanu is searching for another coach after because of health issues. She first worked with Cavaday as a child, and they resumed the relationship before last season when the 22-year-old returned to the top 100 following operations on both wrists and one ankle.
Raducanu frequently spoke about how positive the partnership had been and that she hoped it would be a long-term arrangement, but it has now ended after 14 months. Their last tournament together was the .
The British number two said: “I’d like to thank Nick for a great partnership over the last year and a bit. Especially being post-surgeries, he helped get me back inside the world’s top 60. I wish him all the best in his next chapter and no doubt we’ll stay in touch.”