'Not a disappointment' - Mats Wilander praises Emma Raducanu for 'unbelievable' fight in Australian Open loss

Mats Wilander has said that Emma Raducanu showed «unbelievable fight» despite exiting the Australian Open in the second round. Raducanu was beaten in a three-set encounter by Danka Kovinic, but fought through a painful blister on her right hand. Ad/> The US Open champion took several medical breaks during the match to re-apply strapping, and struggled to hit power forehands and serve convincingly due to the bothersome injury.

Australian Open womenBattling Raducanu fails to overcome hand injury as Kovinic sends her home3 HOURS AGO While a first-week exit will be regarded as a disappointment for the teenager after a stunning maiden Grand Slam triumph in New York in September, Wilander believes that this is a natural progression of Raducanu's young career. Eurosport expert Wilander, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, stated that the 19-year-old deserves great credit for her performance. Battling Raducanu fails to overcome hand injury as Kovinic sends her home 'It changes how you feel' — Raducanu charge halted by blister 'Emma, Emma!' — Raducanu heads to wrong end of court as umpire gets involved «Emma Raducanu [showed] unbelievable fight,» Wilander said in the Eurosport Cube.

«She had a huge blister on her right hand and at some points couldn't really hit a forehand at all. »It's not a disappointment to me. It needs to not be for Emma Raducanu or the British media, and for her sponsors.

This was a great effort against a really good player in Kovinic. I take my hat off. She couldn't even shake hands! «In Wimbledon she reached the fourth round, at the US Open she won, and in the Australian Open she won a great first round against a former Grand Slam champion in Sloane Stephens.