British number one Emma Raducanu's hopes of winning her maiden WTA Tour title were dashed in a crushing 6-0 6-2 defeat to Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the final of the Transylvania Open.
The young Briton had been looking to make a statement, having won the US Open just two years ago and establishing herself as a force on the WTA Tour. However, she was unable to match the level of her opponent, who broke away from the match with a strong start that Raducanu struggled to recover from.
Despite showing glimpses of brilliance in earlier rounds, including a remarkable comeback to beat Greet Minnen and then Polish player Maja Chwalinska, Raducanu looked drained throughout the match. Her lack of energy was evident in her performance, with her opponent's powerful shots proving too much for her to handle.
Raducanu's physical struggles were compounded by what appeared to be a shoulder injury that required treatment during the match. The extent of the damage is unclear, but it seems likely that it will keep her out of action for some time.
In a post-match interview, Raducanu expressed gratitude to her fans and acknowledged Cirstea's impressive performance. However, she also hinted at the need for consistency and physical fitness if she is to continue to compete at the highest level.
"I want to thank the public," Raducanu said. "You really made me feel at home this week. Sorry today I couldn't bring my best. But congratulations as well to Sorana - you've had an incredible week. I think you're playing great tennis."
Cirstea, who played in her final season on the WTA Tour, showed remarkable form throughout the match, using her aggressive style to overwhelm Raducanu.
"I was full of purpose and aggression," Cirstea said after the match. "It worked for me, and I'm glad I could win."
While Raducanu's defeat is a setback, she will take positives from this week's experience, which has shown that she still has the potential to compete at the highest level. She heads into her next tournament, the Qatar Open, with renewed determination and a focus on building up her match fitness.
"It was a combination of issues," said Miles Maclagan, former coach of Laura Robson and Andy Murray, who was watching the match from the stands. "The perfect start from Sorana Cirstea worked for her, but even if she hadn't been able to pull it through, Emma would have gotten it back to 2-2 in the second set."
Maclagan added that Raducanu needs to build up her match fitness and consistency if she is to continue to compete at the highest level. "There have been so many injuries, so much chopping and changing of coaches," he said. "A little bit of consistency and belief are needed, but I just feel that's what Emma needs."
Despite the setback, Raducanu will look to bounce back in Qatar, where she will face qualifier Camila Osorio in the first round on Monday.
The young Briton had been looking to make a statement, having won the US Open just two years ago and establishing herself as a force on the WTA Tour. However, she was unable to match the level of her opponent, who broke away from the match with a strong start that Raducanu struggled to recover from.
Despite showing glimpses of brilliance in earlier rounds, including a remarkable comeback to beat Greet Minnen and then Polish player Maja Chwalinska, Raducanu looked drained throughout the match. Her lack of energy was evident in her performance, with her opponent's powerful shots proving too much for her to handle.
Raducanu's physical struggles were compounded by what appeared to be a shoulder injury that required treatment during the match. The extent of the damage is unclear, but it seems likely that it will keep her out of action for some time.
In a post-match interview, Raducanu expressed gratitude to her fans and acknowledged Cirstea's impressive performance. However, she also hinted at the need for consistency and physical fitness if she is to continue to compete at the highest level.
"I want to thank the public," Raducanu said. "You really made me feel at home this week. Sorry today I couldn't bring my best. But congratulations as well to Sorana - you've had an incredible week. I think you're playing great tennis."
Cirstea, who played in her final season on the WTA Tour, showed remarkable form throughout the match, using her aggressive style to overwhelm Raducanu.
"I was full of purpose and aggression," Cirstea said after the match. "It worked for me, and I'm glad I could win."
While Raducanu's defeat is a setback, she will take positives from this week's experience, which has shown that she still has the potential to compete at the highest level. She heads into her next tournament, the Qatar Open, with renewed determination and a focus on building up her match fitness.
"It was a combination of issues," said Miles Maclagan, former coach of Laura Robson and Andy Murray, who was watching the match from the stands. "The perfect start from Sorana Cirstea worked for her, but even if she hadn't been able to pull it through, Emma would have gotten it back to 2-2 in the second set."
Maclagan added that Raducanu needs to build up her match fitness and consistency if she is to continue to compete at the highest level. "There have been so many injuries, so much chopping and changing of coaches," he said. "A little bit of consistency and belief are needed, but I just feel that's what Emma needs."
Despite the setback, Raducanu will look to bounce back in Qatar, where she will face qualifier Camila Osorio in the first round on Monday.
. I don't think anyone expected her to play like that, especially after a week of great tennis. She took it upon herself to crush Raducanu 
. Can't say I'm surprised though, she's been playing some great tennis lately.
, especially after her US Open win last year... #TennisDisappointment. She was looking strong but that shoulder injury didn't help matters 
. The question now is how will she bounce back from this? Building match fitness and consistency are key 
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. Can't wait to see her take on Camila Osorio in Qatar! 
. That Cirstea played some sick tennis though! 
Raducanu needs to work on that fitness and consistency, but she'll bounce back strong in Qatar 
Raducanu's loss is a bummer 
. She looked so drained on court 
. Hopefully, her shoulder injury isn't too bad 
and she can get back to her best soon 
. And Cirstea played an awesome match 
! Can't wait to see Raducanu bounce back in Qatar 
She needed this reality check, you know? 
That Romanian girl's got some serious game 
Can't just coast on past glory... she needs to up her fitness & consistency 
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. She can't afford to be struggling like that again 
. She's got that fire in her belly again, and I'm sure she'll be ready to take on the best of them 
!
. Hopefully, this setback won't keep her out for too long, and she can get back to her winning ways 
. Like, I get that you can't match up against a player who's on fire, but still, it feels like Raducanu had some great moments in the tournament before this one... and I'm kinda rooting for her to bounce back in Qatar 
... she's still got the potential to do big things in tennis 
. No more days off with "tendinitis" or whatever it is 
, just back out there and play through pain. Where's the humanity in that? 
It's all about winning and money now, not about taking care of your body. I remember when players would take breaks to rest their muscles and come back stronger 
... that was what made tennis great 
. She had an up-and-down week and couldn't quite catch a break 
. Yeah, she got beat pretty badly by Cirstea, but that's just one match, right? 
. And let's not forget she was playing with what looked like a shoulder injury 
, Emma needs to build up her match fitness and consistency, but we shouldn't count her out just yet 
. I'm still rooting for her to bounce back in Qatar 
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Cirstea totally dominated the match and deservedly won 
and work on building up her match fitness 
... I mean, she was looking so strong just two years ago winning the US Open, and now it feels like she's lost her mojo a bit