The Czech team went into the round as heavy favourites to win, having a much more experienced side. However, with tennis normally being an individual sport, team competitions are no stranger to unpredictability.
Emma Raducanu marked her debut in the competition, and on clay courts, with a close-fought victory against Tereza Martincova, tying Great Britain up with the Czechs after Harriet Dart lost earlier the same day.
Unfortunately, the clay courts proved troublesome for Raducanu. As at the end of her opening set against Marketa Vondrousova, she called for a medical timeout. Raducanu had been operating at a far lesser standard than the day before, as it turned out she was suffering from blisters on her feet.
Raducanu said of the blisters: “It kind of showed up after yesterday’s match. We’ve been managing it but as you saw I couldn’t really move or load either way and now it’s just about trying to get it better as soon as possible.
It was compromising every shot I had to play. It’s very disappointing when you’re out there playing a rubber for your country and you feel completely redundant.”
Raducanu went on to lose the match, leaving Harriet Dart with a lot to do, however, she pulled through, winning a tough fought match 6-0, 5-7, 6-2, against 16-year-old prodigy Linda Fruhvirtova.
A victory here left it all to play for going into the final match of the round. However, the British side couldn’t hold on against the much more experienced Czech pairing, losing in straight sets and swiftly being knocked out of the competition.
The injury marks concern for Raducanu as she is set to play next week at a WTA tour event taking place in Stuttgart.
It is clear that the issue has frustrated Raducanu as she admits she has suffered from blisters in the past.
“I’ve had a few blisters on my feet before. I’m going to need to go and evaluate all my options. This has happened quite a few times now and we need to nip it in the bud.’
It remains to be seen, what condition Raducanu will be in next week, and whether she will be back to operating at full capacity.
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