Frustration for Raducanu in Hobart as rain brings early end to opening match
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Emma Raducanu endured a frustrating start to her individual season as multiple rain delays caused her match against Camila Osorio to be suspended overnight.
Raducanu was 6-3, 2-4 up having showcased her new-look forehand when a fourth rain delay of the evening in Hobart forced the players off.
It was far from an ideal start for Raducanu, who is trying to overcome doubts about her form and preparation in the build up to the Australian Open. A foot injury has affected her time on court for most of the off-season, with more than two months spent in the gym and doing static shots, and she faces a short recovery period before resuming her first-round match.
Having decided to travel to Hobart for a W250 event where she entered as the top seed, Raducanu was looking for time on court less than a week before the start of the first grand slam tournament of the year. But instead of a useful match against an opponent ranked 82nd in the world, she spent a lot of time covered in towels trying to stay warm as the rain came and went with frustrating regularity in Tasmania.
Osorio punctuated every break on court with a series of loud coughs that did not let up. It did not seem to affect her tennis as she unleashed a series of winners in the second set that forced Raducanu onto the back foot. There were moments in the first set where Raducanu appeared to be almost conserving herself, choosing on two occasions not to try to chase down drop shots. She started the second set tentatively, trying to move Osorio around the court but without any power to negate her strengths.
Osorio had a 4-2 lead when the players left the court in the second set. After a 45-minute delay and a second warm-up, Raducanu was able to serve twice more before the final rain delay.
With a higher backlift, Raducanu was able to generate more power than she had previously on what has always been her weaker side, but with only a set and a half played she was not able to settle into a confident rhythm.
Play suspended for the day
That’s it, the rain has put an end to today’s action. Raducanu will be back tomorrow when she will be hoping to get the job done.
When does the match need to finish by?
I believe that 11pm local (midday GMT) is when the match needs to finish, so still plenty of time. But it is running out.
Another delay…
Yes, rain. Again. It’s 40-40 with Osorio leading 4-2 in the second set.
The players are back on court…
Excellent. We should see a resumption in play swiftly.
No word of when we might return
When we have that information, we will let you know.
Not an ideal break for either player
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As we head into the third rain break these will not be doing either player any favours.
It will be hard to stay warm and switched on, and you can see how cold it is with Raducanu draping a towel over her legs and shoulders.
If you get cold as a player the risk of an injury also goes up.
Osorio might be trying to complain, but it’s not clear who to as it’s rain after all – not something anyone in Hobart can control.
They are off for rain
The rain is getting heavier and the players leave the court with Osorio 4-2 up in the second set, having lost the first 6-3.
Rain, rain, go away…
Can Raducanu force her way back into this set? Osorio is 15-30 up in the seventh game and we have yet another rain pause…
Raducanu 6-3, 2-4 Osorio*
A sign of weakness from Osorio. An aggressive Raducanu comes out and breaks Osorio back to love. More of that is needed from the Briton.
Shortly after that we have another rain pause. Whether it becomes a delay remains to be seen. The players are still on court as they await the verdict.
Raducanu* 6-3, 1-4 Osorio
No doubt who the better player is at the moment: Camila Osorio. Again she finds some winners from her pocket, including punishing a tentative second serve by Raducanu at 0-30. That becomes 0-40 and three break points which becomes the game and two breaks in the set as Raducanu crashes a return into the net…
Raducanu 6-3, 1-3 Osorio*
Osorio holds and is now a break and a hold ahead.
Match delayed…
Osorio’s service game is put under pressure by Raducanu, attacking the Colombian’s second serve. At advantage to Osorio we have a slight pause because it has started raining, I believe. Not heavy, but too much to play on evidently.
How long will this last? I am not sure. Raducanu is sitting under an umbrella but Osorio is keen to get on with it… as they soon do.
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The rain interlude might actually help Raducanu in the long run. Osorio had started to dominate and find winners with ease, but this will force her to pause and might just disrupt her rhythm.
For Raducanu it is a chance to regroup and take a pause – albeit a brief one.
Raducanu* 6-3, 1-2 Osorio
Hmmm. Two break points for Osorio in this game. And as Raducanu crashes a backhand into the net, the Colombian takes the game to move 2-1 ahead in the second set. She never too a lead in the first.
Raducanu 6-3, 1-1 Osorio*
Normal service resumed? Raducanu breaks back and it’s two breaks and 1-1 in the second set. As it was in the first.
Osorio needs to stay at this level
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As Osorio reeled off four winners in a single game to break Raducanu at the start of the second set, it is a reminder of the level she will need to get back into this match.
The coughing, which might have been aided by the drink she took from her coach in the first set, seems to have eased slightly.
Osorio has found some impressive shots, but she will need to consistently deliver winners to force a decider.
Raducanu* 6-3, 0-1 Osorio
Another battle for Raducanu on her serve and a delicious sliced drop shot from Osorio gets her a break point. Osorio cannot make the most of Raducanu’s second serve and that brings it back to deuce. An error from the Briton means she faces another break point and a superb, clean backhand winner evades Raducanu and Osorio breaks in the first game of the second set…
She has been aggressive and is now causing Raducanu problems. Decent match now.
Raducanu takes first set 6-3!
Osorio not so impressive initially on her own serve, though as Raducanu gets two break points. That is whittled down to one as Osorio ends a rally with a find backhand winner. A clean ace – her first – from Osorio brings it to deuce but Raducanu eventually prevails after a couple of deuces to take the first set. Made to work towards the end of it, but playing decently.
Raducanu* 5-3 Osorio
Osorio probably the better player at the moment. She quickly moves to 0-30 up against Raducanu’s serve with some aggressive tennis, putting her opponent under the most pressure she has faced. That turns into 0-40 and three break points to crank up the pressure further.
With no room for error, Raducanu reels off three points in a row to get to deuce, with a couple powerful forehand winners. Osorio does not budge easily, but Raducanu eventually emerges victorious after some aggressive play.
Only a hold, but one she really hard to work for.
Raducanu 4-3 Osorio*
Osorio holds her serve to go within a game of Raducanu, but the Briton is still a break up.
Raducanu* 4-2 Osorio
Raducanu now in danger of losing her serve as Osorio grows into the game and gets to deuce after Raducanu sends a backhand wide. No break points for Osorio in this match yet and Raducany avoids trouble in this game to take a 4-2 lead. That game was not exactly without trouble, though.
Raducanu 3-2 Osorio*
Raducanu hammers a forehand winner beyond Osorio to get herself within a point of going 4-1 up in the first set with a second break. Unfortunately she mistimes in the next rally and the ball loops up and over the baseline and back to deuce. A bit of spice on the Osorio winner to take the advantage. Back and forth the next few points, dancing around deuce, but Osorio gets over the line to hold her serve.
Wind causing problems
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It has not been the most fluid start to the match from either player so far. Both have been struggling to serve in the swirling wind in Tasmania.
Camila Osorio is also punctuating every break with a loud succession of coughs which cannot be helping her performance.
But against that Raducanu has edged ahead with a new look forehand that seems to be capable of a bit more firepower than previously.
Raducanu* 3-1 Osorio
The longest rally fo the match ends with a failed backhands smash by Osorio and Raducanu takes a 30-15 lead. Can she be the first player to hold serve in this match, four games in? A slightly wayward forehand takes it back to 30 all. Two points without answer, though, means she can hold. Starting to find her way into this game now and looking the better player.
I wouldn’t be surprised for this set to be taken by Raducanu without too much bother from here.
Raducanu 2-1 Osorio*
Raducanu races into a 0-40 lead with three break points. She fails to take the first one, but a poor double fault (are there any good ones?) from Osorio means Raducanu breaks back to take a 2-1 lead.
Raducanu* 1-1 Osorio
Osorio takes control of the second game, moving 15-40 up with two break points. Raducanu doesn’t seem to be entirely comfortable at the moment. Struggles with her ball toss a bit, but it is windy.
Raducanu 1-0 Osorio*
Raducanu’s first return is a wayward one, probably lands at least three or four metres wide. An Osorio double fault gets her back to 30-15 before that becomes 30 all with a tame unforced error from Osorio as both players dial in their games.
An early break point to Raducanu as an Osorio volley finds the net. She takes advantage of it, latching onto a drop shot and playing a stroke that evades her opponent. She is a break up already.
We are under way in Hobart…
Raducanu the strong favourite for this match and favourite for the tournament. Let’s see how it pans out…
Raducanu loses the toss
And Osorio will serve first.
The players are on court
It looks quite blustery…
Raducanu’s ranking through 2025 and into 2026
She will be on court for this match at 7.30am GMT.
Other round one results
Frech beat Jacquemot 6-4, 5-0
Sramkova beat Gracheva 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Preston beat Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 7-6
Jovic beat Tjen 6-0, 6-1
Zarazua beat Baptiste 6-7, 6-3, 6-3
Maria beat Williams 6-4, 6-3
Bondar beat Seidel 6-0, 6-1
Cocciaretto beat Shimizu 6-3, 6-4
Li beat Volynets 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Ruzic beat Arango 7-5, 6-1
McNally beat Sierra 1-6, 6-4, 6-1
Stearns beat Krejcikova 6-4, 1-6, 7-6
Danolovic beat Kessler 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Raducanu starts her singles season
Hello and welcome to coverage of Emma Raducanu’s first WTA match of the season. The British No 1 is building up towards the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday by playing at the Hobart International. She is the top seed and arguably the favourite to win the tournament, which would be her first since the 2021 US Open. Fellow grand slam winners Venus Williams and Barbora Krejcikova were also in the draw but were knocked out in round one.
Today, Raducanu faces Colombia’s Camila Osorio in their second career meeting. “I’m really grateful to be here in Hobart and to see Tasmania. I’m just happy to be here,” Raducanu said.
“It’s somewhere I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity to go if it wasn’t for tennis, so I’m really happy that it has brought me here.
“So far, I’ve been practising pretty well,” Raducanu said. “I started my preseason pretty late, so for me it’s all about sharpening up and tuning up as much as I can. I hope this week can be a good one for that.
“The wind is quite strong here, so getting used to that is a big thing,” she said.
“It’s a lot of adapting and improvising. You probably have to accept that you’re not going to feel like you’re hitting the ball amazingly all the time. It’s all part of the skill set you need to play in all types of conditions. It’ll be a good test and challenge.”
Last week, Raducanu was beaten by Greece’s Maria Sakkari ⁠at the United Cup and is seeking full fitness after a foot injury late last year. “It’s been a good two and a bit months where I didn’t play,” she ⁠said. “It’s been difficult to kind of increase the load and add the unpredictability of the tennis. “I know now I ⁠just need to get my head down, keep working.”
