Emma Raducanu suffers defeats to Anhelina Kalinina in first round of Qatar Open

Emma Raducanu was eliminated from the Qatar Open in the opening round following a 6-0, 7-6(6) loss to Anhelina Kalinina.

Raducanu struggled to find her rhythm in the first set of her match in Doha, which lasted only 23 minutes and saw her win just 10 points. However, she managed to raise her level of play in the second set.

Despite being broken for 6-5 by Kalinina, Raducanu fought back and saved two set points, eventually taking the set into a tie-break. Unfortunately, she missed an opportunity of her own and ended up losing the match.

In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Raducanu admitted that she was struggling with all aspects of her game - serve, return, forehand, and backhand. She felt like she never really found her groove and attributed it to a combination of factors. She mentioned that it felt like her first day playing a match in a year, highlighting the difference in playing conditions.

Raducanu acknowledged the need to practice training outside more often, as the outdoor conditions, including the light, shadows, and overall environment, made it difficult for her to see the ball towards the end of the match.

This tournament marked Raducanu's fourth of the season, and it was her first loss in an opening round since returning from an eight-month injury lay-off.

On the other hand, Kalinina celebrated her second victory of the year and improved her head-to-head record against Raducanu to 2-0. She will now face eighth seed Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.