Emma Raducanu admits to feeling 'completely redundant' after latest disappointing loss

Emma Raducanu said she felt "redundant" as she struggled to cope against Marketa Vondrousova in Saturday's Billie Jean King Cup clash. It was only the teenager's second professional game on a clay court and, to make the job even harder, she was suffering with a painful blister on her foot.

The 19-year-old won on her debut on this surface a day earlier, as she dispatched Tereza Martincova in straight sets to keep Great Britain in the tie. However, that success came at a cost as later that day she discovered the blister which caused her a lot of discomfort in her second outing.

"It kind of showed up after yesterday's match," Raducanu explained after her defeat. "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."

She did not manage to hold her serve once throughout the match, though a big reason for the one-sided scoreline was her opponent. Vondrousova is in imperious form, and recorded another impressive victory a day after dropping just one game to Raducanu's team-mate Harriet Dart.

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But the teenager felt helpless as she struggled to cope with the discomfort from her blister. "It was compromising every shot I had to play," she added. "It's very disappointing when you're out there playing a rubber for your country and you feel completely redundant."

Raducanu has struggled for form ever since her shock US Open success last September, though injuries have played a major role. Blisters on her hand contributed to her second-round defeat at the Australian Open, while she also suffered a hip problem in Guadalajara and a stiff back at the Miami Open.

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