Raducanu Falls to Lucky Loser Ruzic in Dubai
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- Emma Raducanu lost 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to lucky loser Antonia Ruzic in the first round of the Dubai Tennis Championships, with the match lasting two hours and 20 minutes.
- Raducanu received a medical timeout with both a physio and doctor on court after dropping the first set 6-1 in 30 minutes, though she briefly rallied to take the second set.
- The defeat came just two days after Raducanu retired from her Qatar Open first-round match against Camila Osorio due to high blood pressure, following a Transylvania Open final loss.
- Antonia Ruzic, the world No 67 who had been beaten in the first round of qualifying, entered as a late replacement after Elisabetta Cocciaretto withdrew with a thigh injury and ended a five-match losing streak.
- The Dubai draw has been hit by a wave of withdrawals — top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka (hip), Iga Swiatek and Karolina Muchova (schedule changes), Maria Sakkari and Zheng Qinwen (illness) — with seven lucky losers filling the depleted field.
- Raducanu will next target the 'Sunshine Double' at Indian Wells, live on Sky Sports Tennis from March 4-15, as she looks to recover from her 0-2 Middle East swing.
Why it matters: Raducanu is now 0-2 on her 2026 Middle East swing with a retirement in Qatar and a medical timeout loss in Dubai, raising immediate fitness questions ahead of Indian Wells on March 4. The spate of WTA 1000 withdrawals — including world No 1 Sabalenka — means a lucky loser who lost her qualifier took down a former US Open champion, underscoring how depleted the field has become.
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