By Paul Joseph
British number one Emma Raducanu has been eliminated from the Dubai Tennis Championships in the opening round.
After trailing a set and a break against Antonia Ruzic, she managed to push the match to a deciding set, but the Croatian ultimately won 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
Ruzic, ranked 67th in the world, was among seven lucky losers from qualifying who entered the main draw due to several players withdrawing because of injuries, illnesses, or changes in their schedules.
Raducanu’s original opponent, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, had to withdraw due to a thigh injury, and Ruzic quickly took the first set in just 30 minutes, breaking Raducanu twice.
The world number 25 then required medical assistance, similar to her situation at the Qatar Open last week, where she had to retire from her first-round match.
Although Raducanu fell behind 5-3 after another break in the second set, she rallied to secure two breaks and level the match at one set each.
The Briton won six consecutive games to take a 2-0 lead in the final set, but Ruzic responded by winning the next six games to secure the match.
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