Emma Raducanu's Madrid Open campaign came to an end today as she suffered defeat to Marta Kostyuk in the second round.
The British player lost 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to the Ukrainian 24th seed in a match that featured several momentum shifts.
It was a reversal of fortunes from their last meeting at the same tournament in 2022, when Raducanu had claimed a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Raducanu had entered the contest following a gritty win over Suzan Lamens in the first round, which marked her first victory on outdoor clay since 2022.
Emma Raducanu had admitted she had a healthy rivalry with her opponent before the match
Reuters
The world No. 49 had been wary of the challenge posed by Kostyuk before the match.
"I grew up playing with her. We played all of the summer cups, winter cups together, we're the same age group. It will be interesting," Raducanu told Sky Sports before their second-round showdown.
Kostyuk made her intentions clear from the start, breaking Raducanu in the opening game after winning the coin toss and choosing to receive.
The Brit fought back admirably, saving four more break points in a tough service game before levelling at 3-3.
However, Kostyuk broke again and maintained her advantage to take the first set 6-4.
Both players struggled with their service games in the opening set.
Raducanu hit three double faults while Kostyuk recorded four, landing only 39 per cent of her first serves.
The match took an unexpected turn after the first set when Kostyuk called for the physio.
The Ukrainian received a medical timeout for what appeared to be a wrist issue following a lengthy discussion with the trainer.
This break gave Raducanu an opportunity to consult with her team.
The Brit capitalised immediately, taking a 2-0 lead in the second set.
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Marta Kostyuk battled injury before coming out on top against Emma Raducanu
Reuters
Though Kostyuk briefly fought back, her service woes continued with back-to-back double faults that handed Raducanu another break.
For the first time in the match, Raducanu consolidated her advantage.
She built significant momentum, breaking once more and winning four consecutive games.
This impressive run secured the second set 6-2 for Raducanu, forcing a deciding third set.
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Emma Raducanu had been in fine form prior to defeat on Friday
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Despite forcing a deciding set, Raducanu couldn't maintain her momentum in the final frame.
Kostyuk recovered well from her medical timeout and second set struggles.
The Ukrainian regained control of the match, securing a 6-2 victory in the deciding set.
This result confirmed Raducanu's pre-match assessment that facing Kostyuk would be an "immense challenge."
"She's a player who has been in amazing form and grew up on this surface so is very comfortable on the clay courts," Raducanu had noted before the match.
The defeat ends Raducanu's hopes of a deep run in Madrid, where she had been looking to build on her recent form.
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