Emma Raducanu's United Cup debut has been put on hold once again due to a foot injury, casting doubt over her ability to compete this week. The 23-year-old Great Britain star was forced to withdraw from her highly anticipated match against Naomi Osaka just an hour before play got underway in Perth. This is the latest setback for Raducanu, who has struggled with injuries throughout her young career.
Her withdrawal has given Billy Harris the opportunity to shine on his debut, as he defeated Shintaro Mochizuki 7-6 (4), 6-3, helping Great Britain secure a solid 2-1 win over Japan. Katie Swan also showed promise in her match against Osaka, but ultimately lost 7-6 (4), 6-1.
The team's captain, Tim Henman, shed light on Raducanu's condition, stating that she struggled with her foot for the end of last year and has been practicing static drills in London. However, it remains to be seen whether she will be fit enough to compete this week.
Raducanu was present at the RAC Arena, cheering on her teammates and offering advice from the bench alongside coach Francisco Roig. She expressed a positive outlook, saying that she is "looking forward" to her match against Osaka in the future.
The absence of top players has provided an opportunity for other team members to shine. Harris, ranked 128, took advantage of a winnable matchup to secure his first victory, while Swan showed promise despite being outgunned by Osaka.
In the decisive rubber, Neal Skupski and Olivia Nicholls held their nerve to seal a tense final-set tie-break against Nao Hibino and Yasutaka Uchiyama. The team's spirit and communication proved key to securing the win.
Great Britain will face Greece next for a guaranteed spot in the quarter-finals, with the Greek team led by former top-three players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari.
Her withdrawal has given Billy Harris the opportunity to shine on his debut, as he defeated Shintaro Mochizuki 7-6 (4), 6-3, helping Great Britain secure a solid 2-1 win over Japan. Katie Swan also showed promise in her match against Osaka, but ultimately lost 7-6 (4), 6-1.
The team's captain, Tim Henman, shed light on Raducanu's condition, stating that she struggled with her foot for the end of last year and has been practicing static drills in London. However, it remains to be seen whether she will be fit enough to compete this week.
Raducanu was present at the RAC Arena, cheering on her teammates and offering advice from the bench alongside coach Francisco Roig. She expressed a positive outlook, saying that she is "looking forward" to her match against Osaka in the future.
The absence of top players has provided an opportunity for other team members to shine. Harris, ranked 128, took advantage of a winnable matchup to secure his first victory, while Swan showed promise despite being outgunned by Osaka.
In the decisive rubber, Neal Skupski and Olivia Nicholls held their nerve to seal a tense final-set tie-break against Nao Hibino and Yasutaka Uchiyama. The team's spirit and communication proved key to securing the win.
Great Britain will face Greece next for a guaranteed spot in the quarter-finals, with the Greek team led by former top-three players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari.
. I mean, can't she just get a break? She was so hyped for her match against Naomi Osaka but now it's all being put on hold again 
. On the bright side, Billy Harris got to shine in his debut and helped GB secure that 2-1 win over Japan 
! It's always awesome to see new players step up and show their skills 
. I'm curious to see how Raducanu bounces back from this latest setback, though - has she been practicing enough? 
. She's been struggling with injuries for ages, and this latest setback has got me wondering if she'll ever be the same player again 
. And can't wait to see how Great Britain takes on Greece next – it's gonna be a tough one, but I got faith in them 
!
. And what's with Billy Harris getting all the attention? He's only 128 ranked, what makes him so special? 
) Raducanu's injuries are like a meme that won't stop 
[GIF of a person repeatedly falling down] Team GB is still holding it together despite the setbacks 
[Image of a tennis player doing a victory dance]
but it looks like we're gonna have to wait a bit longer now... foot injuries are no joke, especially when you're as talented as emma 
. it's not all bad tho, billy harris is doing a great job on his debut and katie swan showed some promise too 
oh man I'm still hyped about GBs win last week 
but now this is like... another major blow 
Emma's injury 2nd time in a row 
guess u c the future in tennis now 
Neal & Olivia's win was insane 
Nao & Yasutaka were so close tho 
anyway, gotta wish Emma 2 b speedy recovery 
It's gonna be tough for Great Britain to compete without their top player, especially against a strong team like Greece 
Can't wait to see how Raducanu's doing after this injury...hopefully she gets back on the court soon 
I mean, I know injuries happen but this feels too much of a thing happening just to her. Did she maybe get tired of being in the spotlight? 
and what's up with Billy Harris getting the chance to shine? Is he like some secret agent or something? 
it's all so fishy...
. Emma Raducanu's foot injury is just another excuse for her to mess up on court again. I mean, come on, she's already had so many setbacks in her career... what makes anyone think she'll be able to get it together now? 
. This whole thing just reeks of bad luck 
. Harris is looking up 
! Team GB's got some promising young guns 
. Emma Raducanu was supposed to be a big draw for this tournament and now her participation is up in the air again 
- nice job, mate! 
. Can't we just have one tournament without her being injured for once? 
? It's getting old 
. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how she does in her next match 
. Fingers crossed for you, Emma! 
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