Returning Raducanu unable to prevent GB’s United Cup exit

With a group-stage defeat by Greece, Great Britain were knocked out of the competition when Emma Raducanu recovered from a foot injury.

Due to what she described as “light bone bruising” on her right foot, Raducanu, 23, pulled out of her anticipated season-opening game against Japan’s Naomi Osaka on Sunday due to the same issue. She had not played since early October.

With the outcome being regarded as precautionary, Raducanu went back to court on Monday for a tie, where victory would have secured Britain’s place in the quarter-finals.

In a 6-3,3-6,6-3 defeat by Greece’s Maria Sakkari, Raducanu showed encouraging signs of movement. The player was moving freely throughout a thorough workout, frequently striking the ball with precision and showing fighting spirit to level the match.

However, it is understandable that the British number one exhibited some rustiness before giving up in a physical contest.

After a promising 2025 season, Raducanu is ranked 29th in the world, but her foot issue has failed to lessen concerns about her body’s brittleness.

The 2021 US Open champion’s movement appeared to be unimpeded when she pushed off her right foot into the forehand side, and breaking the 51st-ranked Sakkari’s serve in the first game was the perfect start on her return.

Raducanu’s baseline ball-striking was frequently crisp and dangerous, but she did not experience the same level of consistency as her rival.

The former world number three from Greece rallied from the first set and won six of the final seven games before facing four break points in the second game of the third set before taking Raducanu’s serve for a 2-1 lead.

However, Raducanu has shown more of her resilience over the past year, fighting back to level the match.

However, the decider significantly lowerd her level. With little opposition from Raducanu, Sakkari, who had lost all four of their previous meetings, slammed into winning the final five games.

Before falling to Stefanos Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam champion, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), Harris came agonisingly close to securing the most notable victory of his career.

Tsitsipas was the only British number five in a competitive match, but the former world number three, who has struggled for form and fitness, showed his mettle.

Tsitsipas, a 30-year-old player, recovered from 0-30 to hold on in a tie-break that 127th-ranked Harris started with a double fault, but he did so at a much higher level than his ranking, which he had led to.

“I tried everything in my power to prevent that from happening again because I got sick of losing matches like that.” Tsitsipas thanked me for surviving that, “I’m grateful.”

As the two-time major champion’s nine-game unbeaten streak, which included winning six singles matches and winning all three of her doubles matches, came to an end with 6-1, 6 (6), 6-0, to 42nd-ranked Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Spain took a 1-0 lead in the men’s singles match after Bouzas Maneiro’s first top-five victory, and Taylor Fritz saved a match point against Jaume Munar by leveling the score.

Inigo Cervantes and Yvonne Cavalle were defeated 7-6 (7-5) 6-0 by Gauff, who made a second consecutive win over Christian Harrison in the mixed doubles.

World No. 3 Alexander Zverev was defeated by Poland in Group F, which surprised him.

Hubert Hurkacz, who was playing his first competitive game since June, defeated Zverev 6-3, 6-4.

Hurkacz won in Sydney to give Poland a 1-0 lead, but the ranking has dropped to 83rd since a knee injury seven months ago.

Iga Swiatek, the six-time major champion, came out on top to win against Eva Lys, but she had to come back from a set down to defend.