Emma Raducanu suffers humiliating 52-minute thrashing at Indian Wells – and rues not being more ‘aggressive’ against dominant world No 6 Amanda Anisimova
Emma Raducanu suffered a disappointing defeat to Amanda Anisimova in just 52 minutes on Sunday, losing in the third round at Indian Wells.
Britain’s number 1 could only win 11 points in the first set, losing 6-1 6-1 to Anisimova, and managed to maintain her serve by falling behind 3-0 in the second set.
Raducanu, ranked 25th, admitted after the match that she should have been more ‘aggressive’ against an opponent with the talent of world No. 6 Anisimova, who was runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year.
“When I play someone who is at the top like that, I think they have an extra 10 mph on their serve than I do,” Raducanu said.
‘If I’m not feeling it, the difference is more noticeable in terms of shot weight and power.
‘You just feel a little behind and your punches don’t land as much as theirs.
Emma Raducanu suffered a disappointing defeat in just 52 minutes at Indian Wells on Sunday.
Britain’s No.1 (above) was not at her best, losing 6-1 6-1 to Amanda Anisimova
‘Obviously I need to be aggressive when playing with these players, but I think I still have a long way to go to do that and I need to play to my strengths and probably mix it up a bit more.’
Raducanu, who has repeatedly refused to chase down dropped shots and is likely struggling through injury, added: ‘As there were no rallies, it’s hard to read much into the game other than the actual start.
But I need to look at what I have achieved in the nine days of training since I arrived here and the first match was a good match for me. I could let it get me down today if I wanted to, but overall I think days are better than no days at all.’
The 23-year-old player, who continues to look for the 10th coach of his career after leaving Francis Roig in January, is working temporarily with his old ally Mark Petchey.
Following his announcement as Uniqlo’s global brand ambassador at the end of February, Raducanu confirmed that hiring a new coach was not an immediate priority.
Meanwhile, winner Anisimova said in an on-field interview after the match: ‘I think I can be very pleased with my performance today.
‘I had a tough first round, so I went out to be fearless. I wanted to enjoy it and keep running.’
