Emma Raducanu, the top-ranked player in Britain, was eliminated in the opening round of the Dubai Tennis Championships. She forced a final against Antonia Ruzic after rallying from a set and a break behind, but the Croatian won 6-1 5-7 6-2. Ranked 67th in the world, Ruzic was one of seven fortunate qualifying losers to make it into the main draw after a number of players withdrew due to illness, injury, or schedule changes. The Croatian said that her first career top 30 victory was the result of a “crazy turnaround,” with little time for training. Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Raducanu’s first opponent, was sidelined due to a thigh issue, and Ruzic won the opening set in 30 minutes after breaking Raducanu twice.
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