BEIJING — Emma Raducanu's promising run at the China Open came to a crushing and painfully familiar halt on Monday, as the Briton squandered three match points in a dramatic final-set tiebreak to succumb to World No. 11 Liudmila Samsonova, 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 6-7(7). The match, which stretched over three grueling hours and seven minutes, marked another chapter in Raducanu's ongoing struggle to close out matches against top-tier opponents since her triumphant 2021 US Open victory.
A Rollercoaster of Momentum Swings
The first round encounter was a tale of resilience and squandered opportunities for the 20-year-old Raducanu. After trading breaks early, the set was ultimately decided by a single mini-break in the tiebreak, which Samsonova seized. The Russian's powerful, flat groundstrokes and aggressive returning initially seemed to overwhelm Raducanu, who struggled to find her rhythm against the relentless pace. However, displaying the fight that has characterized her recent comeback from triple surgery, Raducanu dug deep in the second set.
She began to neutralize Samsonova's power, extending rallies and finding her range on her own backhand. After forcing a second tiebreak, Raducanu raised her level significantly, clinching the set to force a decider. The final set was a brutal war of attrition, with both players holding serve under immense pressure. Raducanu, feeding off the energy of the crowd, seemed to have found a crucial breakthrough, earning her first match point on Samsonova's serve at 5-4, but a brave forehand winner from the Russian snuffed out the chance.
The Agonizing Finale and Collapse of Nerves
The match ultimately hurtled towards a climactic final-set tiebreak, where the drama reached its peak. Raducanu, showing immense courage, carved out a second match point at 6-5. The point that followed was a microcosm of the entire battle—a long, draining rally that ended with Raducanu pushing a backhand just wide. Undeterred, she earned a third and final match point at 7-6, only to see it evaporate with a forehand error. From there, the momentum irrevocably shifted.
Samsonova, a seasoned player with three WTA titles to her name, steeled herself. She capitalized on a suddenly tentative Raducanu, reeling off the final three points of the match to seal a monumental victory. The defeat marks the second time in recent months that Raducanu has failed to convert multiple match points, having suffered a similar fate against Jelena Ostapenko in Stuttgart. The key moments that slipped away in the tiebreak included:
- A missed backhand on her second match point at 6-5.
- A forehand that sailed long on her third and decisive match point at 7-6.
- A double fault that gave Samsonova her first match point opportunity at 8-7.
Speaking to the press after the match, a visibly disappointed Raducanu acknowledged the mental hurdle. "It's definitely tough to take, especially having three chances to finish it," she said. "In those big moments, I felt I was just a little bit tight. It’s a process, and it’s something I have to learn from. You can’t get that experience without going through it."
Context of the Comeback and Lingering Questions
This tournament was only Raducanu's fourth event back after surgeries on both wrists and one ankle sidelined her for eight months. In that context, pushing a top-15 caliber player like Samsonova to the absolute limit is a significant positive. Her movement and physical conditioning, which were major question marks, held up remarkably well over the three-hour marathon. The raw ball-striking and fighting spirit that made her a global star were clearly on display.
However, the recurring theme of failing to slam the door shut on opponents raises questions about her current level of match sharpness and confidence in clutch moments. Since her fairytale run in New York two years ago, converting critical opportunities has been a persistent challenge. The defeat in Beijing is a stark reminder that while the physical tools are returning, the mental fortitude required to consistently win at the highest level is still a work in progress.
The Road Ahead for Raducanu
Despite the heartbreak, the performance in Beijing will likely provide more encouragement than despair for her team. She demonstrated she can compete with the world's best, a crucial benchmark in her long road back up the rankings. Her immediate schedule is expected to include a WTA 250 event in Hong Kong, where she will hope to build momentum and secure much-needed ranking points to climb from her current position outside the top 250.
Samsonova, for her part, was full of praise for her opponent's resilience. In her post-match comments, she noted, "It was an incredibly tough match. Emma is a great player, a Grand Slam champion, and she was fighting for every point. I just tried to stay focused on my game and be aggressive until the very last point."
A Painful but Necessary Lesson
For Emma Raducanu, the collapse in Beijing is a bitter pill to swallow. To come so close to a statement victory, only to let it slip through her fingers, will undoubtedly sting. Yet, within the pain lies a valuable lesson. These are the kinds of brutal, high-pressure matches that forge a champion. The experience of enduring this three-hour battle, with all its emotional swings, is invaluable for a player still rediscovering her place on the tour.
The challenge now is to internalize the disappointment without letting it define her. The positives from her performance—her improved physicality, her potent groundstrokes, and her never-say-die attitude—are tangible foundations to build upon. The task is to bridge the small but critical gap between competing at a high level and winning at a high level. As she herself admitted, it's a process, and the path back to the top is rarely a straight line.