Raducanu loses first final in five years

Emma Raducanu’s quest for a first title since 2021 ended with a whimper as she lost in straight sets to Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open final.

The 23-year-old was thrashed 6-0, 6-2 on the hard court in Cluj-Napoca in a final marred by health and fitness issues, leaving her needing a medical timeout.

Reaching her first final since her 2021 US Open triumph is a step forward for Raducanu, particularly after her sticky start to the season.

Bromley’s golden girl had, after all, crashed out of the Australian Open in the first round in January in straight sets to the world No 55 Anastasia Potapova. 

She thus swung the axe on her coach Franciso Roig after a mere six months, leaving her searching for a 10th trainer of her career as she touched down in Romania, the homeland of her father Ion. 

And there are plenty of positives to take from this week in the jewel of northeastern Romania.

Raducanu showed a never-say-die spirit to recover from 5-0 down against Kaja Juvan in the second round, before overturning a set deficit in the semis against Oleksandra Oliynykova, a ‘brutal’ battle during which she hurt her shoulder.