Emma Raducanu crashes OUT of Miami Open as Katerina Siniakova fights back from a set down to beat British star in gruelling first-round match
- Emma Raducanu loses to Katerina Siniakova on Miami Open debut
- The US Open champion took the first set but Siniakova roared back to win
- Raducanu served for the match in the decider and had numerous chances
Emma Raducanu suffered one of her most painful defeats since the US Open when she was edged out of the Miami Open despite having a welter of chances.
The British number one went down 3-6 6-4 7-5 in two hours and 55 minutes to world number 53 Katerina Siniakova after serving for the match at 5-3 in the decider.
She will now head into the clay court season – more new territory for her – with a 4-8 match record since winning in New York, and has only two victories to her name in 2022.
Emma Raducanu is out of the Miami Open after losing in three sets to Katerina Siniakova
Raducanu, who could only take five of 17 break points, could have won all three sets having led early on in all of them.
This was not easy, especially as the Czech had been in tears during the first set with what looked like an injury to her upper back or shoulder. However she showed few ill effects after a lengthy treatment break.
Raducanu will especially rue a simple missed forehand that would have given her a double break in the third.
The US Open champion served for the match in the decider but was unable to close out victory
In steamy conditions that made finishing points hard work her energy levels seemed to undulate.
The Czech was often impressive in a match marked out by baseline rallies with the ball struck hard and flat from the baseline, and she finished much the stronger once Raducanu had not managed to serve it out at 5-4 in the third.
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