Emma Raducanu struggled physically for the second tournament in a row and exited Ningbo in the first round after suffering a shock 6-3 4-6 1-6 loss to 219th-ranked qualifier Zhu Lin.
While Raducanu didn't have issues breaking Zhu's serve, she also struggled on her own serve. After twice blowing a break, the British tennis player earned another one in the eighth game to go 5-3 up. With a chance to serve out for the first set, the 2021 US Open champion faced three break points, but saved them all before finally realizing her fifth set point to claim the first set.
In the second set, the roles were different as Zhu was twice up by a break but Raducanu twice came back. Still, the Chinese world No. 219 took the second set after breaking the Briton in the 10th game - the game in which the world No. 29 served to stay in the set.
Before the second set finished, the 22-year-old Briton had the doctor come out to check her vitals.
Raducanu also struggled physically in the third set
At the start of the third set, the 2021 US Open winner had a trainer come out for a lower-back issue while she was trailing 1-2.
After the second medical time out, the former world No. 10 didn't win a single game for the remainder of the match.
For Raducanu, this was the second consecutive tournament in which she struggled physically. 10 days ago in Wuhan, the 22-year-old retired from her first-round match after feeling unwell on the court.
