Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her second ASB Classic match in Auckland. The Brit injured her ankle during the second set against Viktoria Kuzmova, before deciding to stop at the start of the third set
Raducanu won the opening set 6-0 before losing the second 7-5. She had medical treatment at the end of the second before retiring two points into her opening service game of the decider.
The US Open champion is the second youngest player in the WTA’s top 75, and looked impressive in her opening match against Linda Fruhvirtova.
The 20-year-old suffered from injuries throughout her first full season on tour in 2022. Concerns will be raised that she may not be fully fit at the Australian Open, which starts in 11 days.
The British number one recently added Andy Murray’s former fitness trainer Jez Green to her team. Green played a significant role in guiding Andy Murray to Major success.
Raducanu said she was ‘feeling good’ physically following her exhibition matches in December. She will be facing a race against time to be ready for the first Grand Slam of the season.
Kuzmova next faces seventh seed Danka Kovinic for a place in the semi-finals. Coco Gauff and Leylah Fernandez also feature in the quarter-final lineup.
