Emma Raducanu was eliminated from the Citi DC Open in Washington after a hard-fought quarter-final match against Paula Badosa. Despite taking an early lead, Raducanu ultimately lost to the Spanish player with a score of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Raducanu, who chose to prioritize the American hard-court season over participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, was edged out by the world No. 62.
Raducanu, currently ranked 89th, began the match with a strong performance. She broke Badosa's serve in the opening game and maintained her advantage with confident serving. She had opportunities to secure a double-break but only managed to serve out the first set after needing three set points.
In the second set, Badosa increased the pressure and was able to break Raducanu’s serve, leading to a pivotal moment in the match. Badosa capitalized on her chances and saved two set points before leveling the match with a 7-5 win in the second set.
The decisive third set saw Raducanu initially gain the upper hand by breaking Badosa’s serve early. However, Badosa, who had been ranked as high as world No. 2 in 2022, fought back strongly and broke Raducanu’s serve to go up 5-3. Raducanu managed to equalize at 5-5 but could not sustain her momentum.
Badosa eventually broke Raducanu’s serve again and closed out the match with a final score of 6-4. Raducanu’s defeat was sealed with a double fault on match point, marking her exit from the tournament.
Badosa will now advance to the semi-finals where she will face American player Caroline Dolehide. Raducanu, despite a promising start to the tournament, leaves Washington after a challenging encounter.
The Citi DC Open will continue with Badosa looking to build on her impressive performance, while Raducanu will regroup and look ahead to future tournaments.
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