Emma Raducanu was forced to retire in the final set of a marathon match in Mexico on Tuesday, going down 5-7 7-6 (4) 4-3 to Australian Daria Saville in three hours and 36 minutes.
It was Raducanu’s first competitive outing since bowing out at the Australian Open lat month and the longest match of the WTA season so far.
Raducanu took the opening set after a tough 80 minutes in Guadalajara and served for the match at 5-3 in the second but Saville broke back to force a tiebreak which she won.
Both women were clearly under strain in the decider, with the altitude a major factor, Saville battling leg cramps as Raducanu took an off-court medical timeout.
The world number 12 returned to the court with her upper left leg taped and played two more games before deciding to retire.
