AUCKLAND: Former US Open champion Emma Rad­u­c­anu exited an Auckland warm-up tournament inju­red and in tears on Thursday, just over 10 days before the Australian Open starts.

The 20-year-old Briton retired with an ankle injury at the start of the third set against Viktoria Kuzmova in the last 16.

Raducanu, who has suffered a series of injuries since her New York triumph, won the first set 6-0 before losing the second 7-5.

She then received treatment before declaring that she could not continue.

Veteran Venus Williams was another high-profile casualty on a rain-marred day.

The 42-year-old American said it had been “more about surviving” than tennis after she blew a 5-3 third-set lead against China’s unseeded Zhu Lin.

US teenager Coco Gauff, the top seed, meanwhile marched relentlessly on.

On another day of weather disruptions, Venus was outlasted by Zhu. Venus’ serve was broken twice in the closing stages as Zhu won 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

In the quarter-finals Zhu will face Gauff, who beat 2020 Australia Open winner Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-4.

In the first set, Gauff raced to a 4-1 lead before Kenin began to fire. The second set went with serve until Gauff’s critical break at 5-4.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2023