‘Top 10 level’ – Emma Raducanu backed to have ‘really exciting year’ after comeback defeat
Former British player Naomi Broady believes Emma Raducanu performed at a top 10 level in her three-set defeat to Elina Svitolina at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
The former world No 76 thinks the match was “maybe just a step too far physically” for Raducanu but highlighted the fact there were “loads of positives to take” from her display.
Raducanu fell to a 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 1-6 loss to world No 25 Elina Svitolina n the second round of the WTA 250 tournament in Auckland on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Brit delivered a strong showing in the first two sets and was close to victory when she led 3-1 in the second set tiebreak, before losing six straight points.
Raducanu faded in the third set of the physical contest and appeared to have an issue with her back in the latter stages, while she also wore strapping on her thigh throughout.
The former world No 10 had downed Elena Gabriela Ruse in a three-set battle in the opening round in her first match in over eight months. The 2021 US Open winner underwent surgery on both her wrists and her ankle last year.
READ MORE: Injury concerns for Emma Raducanu as she loses entertaining Elina Svitolina clash in Auckland
Speaking on Sky Sports following Raducanu’s defeat, Broady said: “Loads of positives to take. Both of them played above their rankings.
“For Raducanu, it was the second match she’s played in eight months, first tournament back and her first match was tough as well. I think it was maybe just a step too far physically but both of them were playing top 10 level today.”
🗣 “If she can play that well against a player of Svitolina’s quality, then this could be a really exciting year for Emma”
Jonathan Overend and Naomi Broady on Emma Raducanu’s defeat to Elina Svitolina, and what 2024 could hold for her 🔮🎾 pic.twitter.com/2SX4wejFdc
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) January 4, 2024
Commentator Jonathan Overend also gave his thoughts: “Ultimately she’s lost the match. But tennis is one of those sports where perspective is so, so important, particularly when you’ve had eight months out and three surgeries.
“To come back and be playing at that sort of level should give her so much encouragement and I really hope she takes more positives than negatives from this experience. If she can play that well against a player of Svitolina’s quality, then this could be a really exciting year for Raducanu.”
Broady then addressed what a realistic target would be for Raducanu at the Australian Open and stressed the priority for the 21-year-old is to remain healthy.
“It’s a tough question. I know her personal goals are to just stay fit and healthy at the moment. She was holding her back towards the end of the match and she had a lot of tape on her thigh today and she didn’t have that in her first round match,” the 33-year-old said.
“But tennis is just such a gruelling sport physically, isn’t it? There’s not many other sports that you would play for so many hours, consecutive days in a week, week after week for 11 months of the year.
“[She had] two gruelling matches, so for her it’s gonna be about staying fit and healthy and then maybe after this Australian swing, looking to start going deeper back in the tournaments again.”
READ MORE: Emma Raducanu explains career approach that will ‘get the best out of’ herself in comeback
