British number one Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her first-round match against American Ann Li at the Wuhan Open, struggling with the hot and humid conditions in China.
Raducanu, currently ranked world number 30, appeared drained of energy and was trailing 6-1, 4-1 when she called for the trainer. After having her blood pressure and temperature checked, she made the decision to retire from the match.
The extreme weather has affected several players this week. Earlier, all outdoor courts in Wuhan were closed as temperatures hit 34C. At the Shanghai Masters, defending champion Jannik Sinner retired due to cramp in the third round, while 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic vomited during his match against Yannick Hanfmann.
Raducanu had made a promising start, breaking Li’s serve in the opening game. However, the American quickly found her rhythm, winning six games in a row and losing just one point on serve to seal the first set in only 28 minutes.
In the second set, Raducanu showed signs of fatigue but managed to hold serve after three double faults. She had two break points in the following game but failed to convert either, and Li broke to take a 2-1 lead.
A further series of unforced errors and another double fault handed Li a second break. Raducanu then took a medical timeout before retiring from the match.
Li, ranked world number 46, will face Russia’s ninth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round. Alexandrova defeated Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.
A strong performance in Wuhan could have helped Raducanu secure a seeded spot at the Australian Open in January, the first Grand Slam of the new season.
