British number one Emma Raducanu's hopes of a first title since her US Open triumph in 2021 were dashed as she was trounced by Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final. The 35-year-old Cirstea, who is in the final year of her career, surged to a 6-0 6-2 victory in front of her home crowd.
Raducanu, who was the top seed and struggling with injuries, looked tired and lacking in energy after her valiant effort to battle past Oleksandra Oliynykova in three sets. She lasted just an hour and three minutes on court against Cirstea.
The British player had levelled the second set at 2-2 after having her blood pressure taken, but Cirstea regained control quickly. A double fault by Raducanu at championship point ended any hopes of the Briton winning a second senior trophy.
Raducanu admitted that she didn't feel so good on court and was "pretty gassed" from the start. However, she praised Cirstea for playing an incredible match from the start and putting pressure on her.
The defeat is another blow to Raducanu's quest for consistency on the WTA Tour. She has been plagued with injuries since 2021 and struggled to find form in January after a second-round exit from the Australian Open.
Raducanu, who was the top seed and struggling with injuries, looked tired and lacking in energy after her valiant effort to battle past Oleksandra Oliynykova in three sets. She lasted just an hour and three minutes on court against Cirstea.
The British player had levelled the second set at 2-2 after having her blood pressure taken, but Cirstea regained control quickly. A double fault by Raducanu at championship point ended any hopes of the Briton winning a second senior trophy.
Raducanu admitted that she didn't feel so good on court and was "pretty gassed" from the start. However, she praised Cirstea for playing an incredible match from the start and putting pressure on her.
The defeat is another blow to Raducanu's quest for consistency on the WTA Tour. She has been plagued with injuries since 2021 and struggled to find form in January after a second-round exit from the Australian Open.
. I mean, she was the top seed and all, but you'd think that would give her an advantage. Nope, instead she looks like a shadow of her former self on the court, struggling with injuries and energy levels. 6-0 is a pretty big margin to recover from 
. And to make matters worse, she's just going through the motions, looking tired and gassed from the start. I mean, what was she expecting? A miracle win against a seasoned pro like Cirstea in her final year of career? Not gonna happen 
. This is just another step back for Raducanu after a pretty rough past few years on the WTA Tour...
Emma Raducanu got totally smashed by Sorana Cirstea 
! I mean, she was already struggling with injuries and looked super tired on court 
. And that double fault at championship point? Game over for Raducanu 
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, it's no surprise she won so convincingly in front of her home crowd 
! Raducanu gave props to Cirstea for putting pressure on her, but I think it's clear that the Romanian player was just too strong on this day 
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. Emma Raducanu might be feeling frustrated right now, but we can't help but feel for her - injuries have been holding her back since 2021! Guess she needs to take a deep breath and "keep going" 
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! I mean, 35 isn't old at all for a pro tennis player - most guys are lucky to be alive by then 
. And Emma Raducanu's injuries? Yeah, maybe she should just take a break and come back when her body (and mind) is ready? I get that she wants another title, but chasing a dream that's already slipping away isn't doing anyone any favors 
. The WTA Tour needs some consistency too, not just from the players, but also the coaches and physios - it's time for some change 
. And the injuries are just getting the best of her 
... Cirstea played an amazing match tho! 
. Onwards & upwards, right? 
Emma Raducanu's chances of winning her first title since 2021 got crushed 
But, honestly, Raducanu looked super drained on court and like she didn't have the energy to even play a full set. 
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. It's possible that Raducanu needs to reassess her approach to managing her physical health and finding ways to maintain her fitness levels throughout the season 
. For now, it seems like she'll have to wait another day for her next title 
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, what a difference a year makes! Emma Raducanu was so hyped after that US Open win but it seems like she's back to square one 
. Raducanu's gotta get that form sorted ASAP or it'll be tough to compete in the big tournaments 
. She had that US Open win all those years ago, but it seems like she's been stuck on injury mode ever since 
. And to make matters worse, she was completely out of sync with her gameplan – the blood pressure test is becoming a bit of a meme at this point 
. Maybe Raducanu needs to sit back, re-evaluate her training and get those injuries sorted out? 