Emma Raducanu advanced to the third round of the Indian Wells Open when her opponent retired just four games into the match. The Brit led Dayana Yastremska 4-0 with a double-break before the 30th seed started clutching at her stomach, eventually forfeiting the match.
Raducanu faced a tough test in her second match of the week as she came up against the 30th seed. In their only previous meeting in 2022, Yastremska retired when Raducanu was two points away from victory at 6-2 5-3.
It gave the Brit some extra motivation to claim the victory she had been about to earn when they faced off in Slovenia. Raducanu was quick off the blocks, getting an immediate break of the Australian Open semi-finalist’s serve and saving a break point before racing to a 4-0 lead.
But their second meeting ended in the same manner as the first, as the match was over almost as quickly as it had started. As Yastremska retreated to the baseline, she started to hunch over and grab her stomach. The umpire approached, suggesting that the Ukrainian return to her bench and call the physio.
But there was nothing that the trainers could do and Yastremska decided to end the match after spending just 21 minutes on the court. Raducanu applauded as the 23-year-old walked off the court as she secured a spot in the third round as a result.
While it is not a completed match, it marks the first time this year that the world No. 250 has recorded back-to-back wins at any tournament. With the result, Raducanu has ensured that she will stay in the top 300 of the rankings no matter what happens this fortnight.
The 21-year-old enjoyed her best run of the 2023 season in Indian Wells, reaching the round of 16. And she has done enough to ensure that any drop in the rankings won’t be too dramatic if she fails to make it as far this time around.
