Emma Raducanu makes ‘feedback’ confession after lopsided Iga Swiatek loss

Emma Raducan during her Australian Open loss.
Emma Raducanu during her match

Emma Raducanu will use her Australian Open exit as “feedback” after winning just one game in a lopsided loss to Iga Swiatek.

Second seed Swiatek was in cruise control in this third-round contest inside the Rod Laver Arena, prevailing 6-1, 6-0 against Raducanu in just an hour and 10 minutes.

The former world No 1 broke her opponent’s serve on five occasions, while Raducanu could not generate a single break point.

The manner of the loss will be sobering for the Brit, who many people had predicted could thrive in the faster court conditions in Melbourne.

Reflecting after the match, Raducanu admitted she would need to learn from the “harsh” result.

“I think it was a match going into it I knew I had to play really well,” said Raducanu.

“I think today, credit to Iga, she played good tennis, but I think it was a little bit of her playing well and me not playing so well. That combination is probably not good and resulted in today.

“The scoreline was obviously quite harsh. I feel like I look back and know exactly what I need to do, and I take it as feedback.”

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Raducanu was in the third round of the Australian Open for the first time, after beating 26th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and Amanda Anisimova in her round one and two matches.

However, this match against Swiatek – a five-time Grand Slam champion – represented a step up in class that the former US Open champion could not match.

Most notably, her serve once again proved to be a key issue.

Raducanu landed 58% of her first serves in play but won just 55% of points behind her first serve, and only 23% behind her second serve.

While relieved her body held up physically after previously withdrawing from the Auckland Open, the 22-year-old conceded her serve needed huge work.

She added: “I think to be on a tennis court playing matches and competing is something I have to be grateful for.

“I started hitting when I came here 18 days ago. I have to take a positive that I was able to beat two top opponents in the first two rounds. But I think today, no excuses of the back or physically.

“I think the thing I want to improve is serving. The first two matches I got away with it against two top players because I was able to defend and move, use the rest of my game.

“If I’m not necessarily able to hold my service games or dictate, I feel like it seeps into the rest of my game.”

Raducanu is next set to be in action at the Singapore Open, which begins on January 27th.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek will next face lucky loser Eva Lys for a place in the fourth round.

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