Emma Raducanu loses first Grand Slam match as painful blisters wreck British star’s Australian Open dreams

EMMA RADUCANU was dumped out of the Australian Open second spherical after struggling blisters on her racket hand.

The British No1 suffered the hand damage within the early phases of the primary set and regardless of the dedication to not roll over, she was finally knocked out 6-4 4-6 6-3 after two-and-a-half hours by world No98 Danka Kovinic.

Emma Raducanu wanted remedy for hand blisters in her second-round match in opposition to Danka KovinicCredit score: Reuters

The injured Brit battled exhausting however finally misplaced her first accomplished Grand Slam matchCredit score: Getty

It was the primary time the Kent star had been defeated in a accomplished Grand Slam match – her 2021 Wimbledon exit was because of an early retirement following respiration issues skilled on courtroom.

It was a tragic, unlucky method to go away Melbourne and there'll at all times be a case of ‘What if?’ as she missed out on a possible third-round conflict in opposition to her idol Simona Halep.

The US Open champion will now pack her luggage, regroup and deal with the Highway to Wimbledon.

This was a loopy match by which there have been 13 breaks of serve and interruptions for accidents, seagull poop and bugs on courtroom.

Raducanu was main 3-2 within the first set when she all of a sudden known as the coach to courtroom to use tape to her proper hand round her index finger.

The problem together with her hand was inflicting her appreciable discomfort, one thing that was made worse by the very fact she is a right-handed participant.

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The tape was fiddly to use and inside a couple of minutes of restarting, it started coming off.

A double fault within the first level of the sixth sport gave Kovinic the arrogance that she was going through a wounded animal and she or he ended up profitable the primary set.

Raducanu requested officers what number of occasions she may name the coach and was advised it was solely twice extra at set changeovers.

The Bromley ace is recognized to be an important drawback solver however this ended up being one puzzle too far.

Though she was all smiles as she gained the 59-minute second set, Raducanu discovered her stamina and ache barrier pushed to its limits within the third and deciding set.

And Kovinic was not going to squander her probability because the Montenegrin reached the third spherical of a Slam for the primary time.

Raducanu was feeling pumped after securing the second setCredit score: EPA

The strapping on her proper hand affected her play all through the matchCredit score: AP

Raducanu needed to depend on her backhand as her foremost weapon of assaultCredit score: Getty

The Brit bowed out amid loads of assist from her followersCredit score: Reuters

The pair needed to improvise with the hand shake on the finish as a result of hassle together with her proper handCredit score: Reuters