Emma Raducanu complaint after Sabalenka drama ahead of Cincinnati Open

Emma Raducanu made a complaint after her Wimbledon defeat to Aryna Sabalenka

Emma Raducanu is scheduled for a rematch with Aryna Sabalenka following the Wimbledon drama that left the British star in tears. Up next for Raducanu is the Cincinnati Open, where she has received a bye in the first round and will face either Katie Boulter or Olga Danilovic in the second round. Provided she passes that test, she is likely to face Sabalenka. It would be their first meeting since their thrilling, albeit controversial, third-round clash at SW19, which the world No.1 won 7-6(6) 6-4. The main moment of contention involved a Sabalenka first serve at 2-4, 15-0, which appeared to miss the line. Raducanu managed to return to the serve, only for Sabalenka to hit a forehand winner before going on to hold. Raducanu was heard asking the chair umpire: “You saw it out as well, right?” Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

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After the match, an emotional Raducanu questioned the accuracy of Wimbledon’s electronic line-calling system (ELC). She said: “That call was for sure out. It’s kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they’ve been OK. I’ve had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. Hopefully they can fix that.” The technology has become standard across the tour, with all ATP Tour events and a lot of WTA ones no longer using line judges. The same system operates at the Australian Open and the US Open, but the French Open remains an outlier, eschewing any form of electronic system. Another moment of controversy during the Sabalenka match involved Raducanu’s racket, which received needed running repairs. She explained: "In the first set as well, I was struggling with the tension [of the strings]. I felt like the ball was flying.

Aryna Sabalenka saw off Raducanu's challenge at Wimbledon

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“I had all my rackets strung up fresh for the match, and it just felt like it was pinging completely different. It could have been a little bit because the roof was on. I sent a couple rackets to be restrung.” Sabalenka has little sympathy, reminding her young rival that preparation was key. She said: "That's more [reason] to have an extra racket, maybe not in your bag, but your team. To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or tennis newsletter "For example, my team, they always have like two extra rackets with the higher tension and two extra rackets with lower tension. They prepare it. You don't have to wait for another racket.”

Raducanu has started working with another new coach

Meanwhile, Raducanu has started working with Rafael Nadal's former coach, Francis Roig. The 22-year-old has been working with fellow Brit Mark Petchey on an informal basis since March and has now added Roig to her team. The Spaniard worked alongside Nadal and his uncle Toni for the majority of his career, during which time he won 22 Grand Slams. Speaking about teaming up with Roig ahead of the Cincinnati Open, Raducanu told Sky Sports: “It’s going really well, it’s my second day here with him here, but I did a few days in London before I came out here. "He’s obviously got a bank of experience and I’m very excited to continue working with him and to have him on my side.” Roig joins Raducanu’s coaching set-up as she continues preparations for the US Open, the tournament she won in 2021.

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