Emma Raducanu not ‘overly concerned' about ongoing back issue after Queen's exit

Independent

15 hours ago

Emma Raducanu insisted she is not 'overly concerned' about her ongoing back issues but conceded she may need to re-think her next steps after bowing out in the Queen's quarter-finals with a 6-2 6-4 loss to Chinese first-seed Qinwen Zheng.
Raducanu, who officially supplants Katie Boulter as British number one on Monday, planned for next week's Berlin Open to be the next step on her quest to secure seeding at Wimbledon, but required an off-court medical time out before the second set.
The 22-year-old was the last Briton standing in this new WTA 500 event, the first time women's tennis had been played at Queen's since 1973.
'I'm not overly concerned that it's something serious, but I know it's something that's very annoying and needs proper and careful management,' said Raducanu, who revealed she had been taped up for stability and took some painkillers.
Quizzed about whether she was a fitness doubt for Wimbledon, she replied: 'Well, I don't know. Like it's been lingering for the last few weeks, and I have had, like, back issues before. I think it's just a vulnerability of mine. I know I need to take good care of it.'
Raducanu faced her toughest test yet in the world number five and Olympic champion Zheng, who opened the match with a double fault and conceded the next point before bouncing back to hold.
The home favourite saved three break points to hold the fourth game and the set remained on serve until a topsy-turvy sixth, when Zheng sealed the first break of the afternoon at the fourth time of asking.
The Chinese competitor then saved two break points to hold before breaking the Briton once more to wrap up the first set.
Zheng initially struggled with her serve, but came back from a double break down in the second set, eventually forcing Raducanu to serve to stay in the match.
Zheng quickly went 40-0 up in the 10th game, but three successive missed service returns left open the door for Raducanu to come back into the contest, ultimately clinching her place in the semi-finals when the Briton's return went long.
Raducanu also endured three interruptions during her service games – twice for problems with Zheng's racket, and another so Zheng could swap her shoes, pauses the Briton admitted were not 'necessarily ideal.'
The new British number one confirmed coach Mark Petchey will be able to join her should the Berlin plan go ahead, but does not know if former coach Nick Cavaday, who stepped back in January due to ill health, will also be on the trip after joining her in London this week.
Raducanu conceded that making the seeding cut for Wimbledon 'obviously helps' when it comes to swerving difficult draws in the early rounds, but added: 'I think maybe my goals have slightly shifted from being seeded to actually improving my game.
'When I play those top players, making it closer and feeling more competitive rather than just feeling, 'OK, I maybe get to the third round of a slam but then lose comfortably to one of the top'.
'I think I'd rather have a more competitive match, even if that means losing first round, second round. I think that, to be honest, is how I feel right now.'
Saturday's first semi-final will see Germany's Tatjana Maria take on second seed Madison Keys, while Zheng will play American Amanda Anisimova.