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Emma Raducanu had a disappointing exit at the ongoing ASB Classic in Auckland, conceding her Round of 16 match against Viktoria Kuzmova due to an ankle injury.
The 20-year-old made a bright start against Kuzmova, bagging a bagel set. In a more competitive second set, Raducanu squandered two break points to fall behind but drew level in the tenth game.
However, she immediately handed the advantage back to her opponent, who served out the set to restore parity. That proved to be the last piece of action in the match, though, as a tearful Raducanu withdrew with a left ankle injury following a slip behind the baseline.
Hours later, the Brit seemingly ended her Auckland visit on a happy note by sharing some pics from a 'beach afternoon up north'. Raducanu captioned her Instagram post:
"A tearful (emoji) ending but still going to leave NZ with some fond memories - here’s some from last week's beach afternoon up north after practice."
Following an injury-plagued 2022 campaign, the injury bug seems to have followed Raducanu into 2023. The 2021 US Open champion's participation at the Australian Open next week appears uncertain at the moment.
Emma Raducanu is Melbourne-bound despite getting injured in Auckland
Despite her injury setback in Auckland, Emma Raducanu has not given up on getting ready for the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on January 16. As per Eurosport, the 20-year-old is headed to the Australian city but seemingly faces a race against time to get fit for the first Grand Slam of the year.
Raducanu has apparently suffered a 'grade one sprain' in the ankle, which usually takes two to three weeks to recover from. Raducanu not flying back home to the UK following her injury in Auckland augurs well for her hopes of participating at the 2023 Australian Open.
Meanwhile, ASB Classic tournament director Nicolas Lamperin rubbished claims that the courts were unfit to play as he expressed regret about Raducanu's injury. He said:
"We are obviously very sorry about Emma's injury. As every player, they work really hard in the off-season, that’s not what you expect when you play a tournament in week one. However, injuries happen all the time and it could have happened on outdoor courts as well. We feel sorry about the situation but we also say these courts are fit to play."
He continued:
"First of all, I want to make sure she is okay. I understand the frustration. It’s ten days ahead of the Australian Open. She is coming from a season with a lot of injuries, so of course, this is something which creates frustration."
Emma Raducanu has a 1-1 record at the Australian Open, making the second round last year.
