Emma Raducanu: Brit suffers early exit at Singapore Open to world No 101 Cristina Bucsa
Emma Raducanu loses in the first round of the Singapore WTA 250 event to world No 101 Cristina Bucsa in match which featured 17 breaks of serve; watch all the action from the ATP and WTA Tours on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, NOW and the Sky Sports app
Tuesday 28 January 2025 16:24, UK
Emma Raducanu suffered a disappointing early exit at the Singapore Open after losing a three-hour battle to world No 101 Cristina Bucsa.
Bucsa, ranked No 101 in the world, took advantage of an error-strewn display from the Brit to advance with a 5-7 7-5 7-5 win in a contest which featured 17 breaks of serve.
Raducanu appeared in a comfortable position at a set up and then 5-4 up in sets two and three, but lost the last three games in both of sets to go down to defeat.
- Latest tennis scores, results & schedule 📝
- Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺
- Sky Sports Tennis podcast - subscribe and download 🔊
The former US Open champion made it to the third round of the Australian Open in a promising start to the year, but went out after winning only a single game against second seed Iga Swiatek in a 6-1 6-0 hammering on Rod Laver Arena.
She arrived in Singapore after parting ways with childhood coach Nick Cavaday, who stepped down last week due to health issues.
Instead, the 22-year-old had her mother Renee for company in the stands, as well as new fitness trainer Yutaka Nakamura.
But Raducanu still flagged as the finish line approached at the end of a brutal encounter.
She saved two break points in the first game with a pair of aces, with Bucsa serving for the first set but was reeled back in by a whipped forehand winner from the Brit.
Raducanu, seeded seventh, sealed a confident hold to love with an ace and then took her first set point with another clubbing forehand.
She retrieved an early break in the second set for 5-5 but Bucsa, showcasing some of the volleying which helped her win an Olympic bronze medal in doubles last year, struck again to level the match.
A jittery deciding set featured seven breaks as double faults began to creep in at Raducanu's end.
Bucsa served for the match at 6-5 and although Raducanu saved two match points, the Moldovan-born 27-year-old converted her third to seal the win in a marathon encounter.
'Proud' Raducanu: I just need time on court
Raducanu, speaking to ESPN:
"I have the positives (from) this week, coming here on my own with Yutaka [Nakamura, fitness coach] and my mum, but I'm really proud of how I dealt and handled myself this week.
"I feel okay. I feel like I have certain things we all manage as the year goes on. I think it's pretty early in the season.
"For me to be playing this kind of match, all I need is time on court and a match-competitive situation, which I got today. I got it in abundance - over three hours of it - so, for me, it's really valuable because every match I play, I feel like it's a win.
"And I fought really hard. I gave everything. So I just got to keep building and moving on."
Tale of the Tape
Bucsa won one more point than Raducanu in a match that lasted three hours and three minutes at the Kallang Tennis Hub.
Bucsa praises Raducanu following epic clash
"I don't play [three-hour matches] enough but it was really good," said Bucsa, who has been ranked as high as world No 56.
"Emma played so well from the first ball until the end. I'm so glad I kept going and kept believing in myself.
"It doesn't matter if I have a day off, I have good endurance and I'm really happy to have my dad [who did a triathalon] with me. Thank you for the support."
Raducanu vs Bucsa: Momentum plots
Burrage bows out in Linz
Jodie Burrage bowed out in qualifying at the Linz Open as the British No 5 was beaten in straight sets by Croatia's Antonia Ruzic.
After getting past Serbia's Lola Radivojevic in the first qualifying round, Burrage lost 6-4 7-6 (7-1) to Ruzic in an hour and 37 minutes.
Burrage's Australian Open campaign earlier this month saw her put in an impressive performance as she was knocked out in the second round by last year's French Open champion Coco Gauff 6-3 7-5.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
