Emma Raducanu opens up on 'battle' with stomach bug in Wang Yafan loss at Australian Open - 'Sucks with the timing'
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Published 18/01/2024 at 13:22 GMT
It was a gruelling two hours and 56 minutes on court for Emma Raducanu, who battled hard against Wang Yafan in a 6-4 4-6 6-4 defeat. The 21-year-old showed physical and mental endurance to go toe-to-toe with Wang, despite suffering with a stomach bug. Afterwards, the 2021 US Open winner was optimistic about her physical condition after recovering from injuries.
'No way I was going to pull out' says 'tougher' Raducanu
Emma Raducanu said she is "so much tougher" after battling with a stomach bug in her Australian Open second-round defeat to Wang Yafan.
Raducanu fought back from a break down in the second set to force a decider, amid the backdrop of an illness which threatened an early ending to the contest.
And she pushed her Chinese opponent all the way in the final set, despite admitting she was "throwing up in my mouth".
“I think, to be honest, with what I went through last year, you feel awful right now, at some points I couldn't really see the ball very well,” Raducanu said in her post-match press conference.
“But I think with everything I went through last year; it's made me so much tougher. There was no way I was going to pull out. She was going to have to beat me, and she did. She served it out.
“I think the last year off and also just with the amount of niggles and everything that I had, the setbacks, it did make me a lot tougher.”
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Raducanu suffers painful defeat to Wang in second round - Australian Open highlights
The 21-year-old had her blood pressure taken during the third set and went 0-40 down in her second service game, before fighting back to claim a crucial hold.
A pulsating 10-minute game followed, as Wang managed to save four break points, a hold she ultimately used as the foundation of her win.
On her condition after the match, Raducanu added: “Now I feel a little bit better. I had some time.
“During the match, I was 30-0 up serving, then all of a sudden, I felt so sick, really weak and nauseous. I think everyone could see it was a bit of a battle throughout the third set.
“Like physically, body-wise, I felt fine. It was more I was throwing up in my mouth. Then after the match, it came out. Now I'm okay. Yeah, I'll get over it. It just sucks with the timing.”
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Raducanu crashes out as Wang closes out 'incredibly dramatic' match
Despite her defeat, the 2021 US Open winner remains upbeat heading into the 2024 season, with her previous ankle and wrist injuries holding up well.
Raducanu said: “I'm very positive, and very happy with how my body is. I think the wrist in particular was something that I struggled with when coming back because I just had a setback for a few months, so I couldn't play until late November again.
“Now I feel good, the ankle feels good. If I keep my work consistent, like I said previously, I have a good shot.
“This is obviously only my first trip back. I need to tidy up some of the areas, a bit of technique and also get used to playing matches outdoors, as well, because the conditions today were very windy.
“I think she handled it a lot better, the wind. She jumbled me, she moon-balled me. She gave me a lot of these scrappy little shots, but it worked.”
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