Emma Raducanu’s miserable coachless run continued as she lost in straight sets to Ekaterina Alexandrova, the same Russian she had defeated in the opening round of last month’s Australian Open.
The shape of the match, in which Raducanu led 3-1 in both sets before going down by a 6-3, 7-5 scoreline, pointed to a woman short of confidence.
Meanwhile the pattern of the rallies, which found her hitting up and down the court without much variation, suggested a player who lacked strategic direction. In a contest which hinged on just a couple of points, the lack of a coach at courtside was again a significant disadvantage.
Raducanu’s post-Australian Open run has been demoralising, featuring three successive defeats in matches where she was generally in touch, but failed to find a killer blow.
These are strong tournaments, especially the two she has just contested in the Middle East: Abu Dhabi and Doha. And things are unlikely to get much easier if she plays Dubai, the next stop on the big names’ calendar, in just over a week’s time.
Perhaps there is a case for entering some less glamorous events, just to pick off a couple of weaker players and rediscover some momentum. Raducanu has set out to enter a lot of tournaments this season, in the hope of building up physical endurance. But why do they all have to be the cream of the calendar?
There have been times in the past when Raducanu seemed to avoid playing qualifying on the grounds that it might be bad for the brand, especially if she lost to a nobody. But she appears to have got over that issue, judging by the fact that she entered qualifiers in Abu Dhabi just over a week ago – even if some late withdrawals meant that she was eventually fast-tracked into the main draw in any case.
A few less demanding matches would help her to fine-tune the elements of her game which are misfiring, especially a serve which has coughed up 35 breaks in her last seven outings.
It’s understood that Raducanu’s recent determination to play a lot of events has led directly to the absence of her former coach Nick Cavaday, who has a chronic health condition that doesn’t allow him to spend too much time on the road.
Cavaday’s absence has clearly had a destabilising effect, and yet Raducanu’s sequence of powerful opponents – last week it was former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova; this week Alexandrova, who was coming off a WTA title in Linz – means that she isn’t getting the volume of matchplay she is looking for either. In many ways, it is the worst of both worlds.
As for Alexandrova, she admitted in her on-court interview that she had come out looking to avenge her 7-6, 7-6 loss to Raducanu in Melbourne last month. “I was looking forward to this match because last match we played it was really close and really difficult,” said Alexandrova. “I was really upset after that match, so when I saw the draw, I thought maybe it’s gonna be my chance. I’m really happy with the win, especially after what happened at the Australian Open.”
07:43 PM GMT
Alexandrova beats Raducanu in straight sets
Ultimately it took Raducanu too long to get going. Oddly passive in the first set she gathered herself in the second and her serve was much improved but Alexandrova played the clutch points better than the British No 2, who appears to be struggling for confidence more than anything. She squandered 3-1 leads in both sets and will be kicking herself for not imposing her game on her opponent more.
07:36 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 5-7 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Raducanu has it all to do now but Alexandrova’s serve has been far from impregnable – she has been broken five times.
Can Raducanu break her again?
A long rally of deep shots and good variety by Raducanu is spoilt by a lucky net cord from Alexandrova that leads to the Briton finding the net.
Alexandrova goes wide for 15-15 and then misses with her first serve. Raducanu hits a fierce return and the Russian can’t keep it in.
It’s 15-30 but Raducanu goes long with her return. 30-30.
And Alexandrova hits a clever passing shot which leaves Raducanu statuesque. Match point Alexandrova.
But this time it’s the Russian who goes long and Raducanu clenches her fists.
The Russian dominates the next rally and Raducanu offers some good defence only to overhit her approach shot to hand Alexandrova another match point.
And Raducanu goes long again and the game, and the match, is up.
Alexandrova wins the match.
07:29 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 5-6 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
It’s getting really tight now but both players are raising their game and hitting thunderous groundstrokes.
A brilliant forehand crosscourt pass from the Russian puts Raducanu under pressure to bring up 30-30.
The quality of the tennis is much-improved and Alexandrova is in the zone now, melting a huge crosscourt pass to break Raducanu at a crucial moment in the match.
Alexandrova breaks serve.
07:25 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 5-5 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
A hard-fought game and Raducanu at 40-15 down is contemplating whether to ask for a review of a shot by Alexandrova that clipped the line.
She decides against it and Alexandrova holds.
07:22 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 5-4 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
Lovely tennis from Raducanu. She plays her trademark baseball shot, from a crouched position almost down on one knee, on the first point, before delivering an admonishing passing shot down the line for 15-0.
Two booming serves and she’s 40-love up, and an ace down the middle, her fifth of the match, takes her to within a game of levelling the match. It’s so much easier when the serve is working.
07:19 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 4-4 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Excellent serving from Ekatrina Alexandrova, including a first ace of the match, moves her into a 40-0 lead.
But she follows that up with a double-fault. And then Raducanu hits a low scudder over the net which Alexandrova can only feed into the bottom of the net.
A long rally of hard hitting from both competitors concludes with the Russian going wide, and it’s deuce.
But Raducanu nets after another long rally and then returns into the net. Disappointing that, after battling back from 40-love down.
07:14 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 4-3 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
Better serving from Raducanu as a third ace of the match gives her a 30-love lead.
She is playing more aggressively now, which is preferable than the meek submission we witnessed in the latter stages of the second set, but Raducanu finds the tramlines with two forehand-pass attempts and it’s 30-all.
It’s assertive tennis though. More like the Raducanu we know and love. Another ace brings up 40-30 and Alexandrova misses this time to give Raducanu a hold. Much better from the Briton that game. She just needs to keep playing this way.
Two aces in that last service hold. It makes such a difference to pick up free points on your serve. Raducanu needs to out-compete Alexandrova as she definitely has the lesser firepower. That’s what she managed to do in Australia a month ago, but so much work to do here.
07:10 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 3-3 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
After Alexandrova earns a 30-15 lead Raducanu restores parity with a crushing forehand down the line. The longer the rallies the more Raducanu is getting back into the match. But the Russian hangs in there and delivers two pummelling forehands to hold serve.
07:04 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 3-2 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
And once again the fifth game of the set starts badly as Raducanu goes 40-love down following some excellent returning from Alexandrova and a miscued crosscourt passing attempt from the girl from Bromley.
There’s a pause in play while we await the machine to reset following a bizarre let call that was called seven shots into a rally.
And still we wait.
The players are asking the umpire what’s going on – and there’s an awkward wait.
Can Raducanu gather herself at 15-40? Yes, she can as Alexandrova goes long. She has one more break point to save, though, and after displaying some excellent defensive shots she can only hit the top of the net with another drop-shot after an amazing spell of scuttling around the baseline.
Shame.
Alexandrova breaks serve.
06:57 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 3-1 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Raducanu starts the game with a good return of serve but then goes wide with an attempted pass and a fierce return.
She stays in a long rally and Alexandrova hits the net to put her serve under pressure at 30-30.
Another long rally there with Raducanu hitting long and strong. She appears to have found some momentum now and Alexandrova goes long to give the Briton another look at a break point.
And a super-sliced drop shot from Raducanu decides the point – superb improvisation there from Raducanu, who is where she was in the opening set before it went horribly wrong: 3-1 up.
Things were looking pretty desperate after six straight lost games, most recently a dropped service game from 40-0 up, but Raducanu finds some more proactive tennis, starting with an uncharacteristic drop shot winner from the baseline.
That’s the way to go. If you just play medium-paced baseline stuff to Alexandrova, she’ll murder you. She’s a flat-track bully, a veritable Graeme Hick.
Raducanu breaks serve.
06:53 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 2-1 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
This is better from Raducanu.
She needed to hold serve to strengthen her belief if nothing else, and she did just that with some excellent serving and solid groundstrokes.
06:50 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6, 1-1 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Raducanu brings up 15-15 with a glorious drop shot after a long rally and then hits a winner to move 15-30 up on the Alexandrova serve.
The Russian is given the next point but Raducanu hots two excellent shots to break her opponent at last.
She needs to show that assertiveness more if she is to get back in this match.
Raducanu breaks serve.
06:45 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-6, 0-1 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
Raducanu needs to shake off that disappointing first set in which she gave away the advantage of an early break of service by making a litany of unforced errors.
The Briton powers to a 40-0 lead but Alexandrova connects with two blistering forehands to give Raducanu food for thought. And then crushes a backhand down the line to force deuce.
Raducanu is looking passive and sends a backhand from the baseline too long to give Alexandrova break point.
And there’s another vicious backhand pass from Alexandrova, who, from 40-0 down has battled back to break the serve of an out-of-sorts Raducanu.
Alexandrova breaks serve.
06:38 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-6 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Alexandrova wins the first point with a glorious forehand cross from the baseline.
Raducanu is under the pump here and she rifles another shot beyond the baseline to hand her opponent 30-love.
And after working the next point beautifully, Raducanu moves in to kill a drive volley, only to send it long.
Three set points to the Russian.
Raducanu survives the first as Alexandrova narrowly misses with a pulverising forehand.
And now Alexandrova double-faults, showing nerves perhaps for the first time.
Her first serve hits the net but Raducanu tries to punish the second serve and batters it into the net to cede the first set.
Pretty weak sauce from Raducanu in the latter part of this set, losing five games in a row. Her opponent was impressive but you can’t help but feel that there’s no apparent gameplan here.
And the serving remains a significant issue, with only 50 per cent of first serves landing. Not that it seems to matter a lot whether they go in or not: she wins 50 per cent of points on first and second serve, regardless.
Alexandrova wins first set.
06:33 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-5 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
Raducanu needs to cast from her mind another wasted break point from the last match and focus on her serving.
Raducanu patiently awaits an unforced error which duly arrives on the first point but a withering forehand into the corner brings up 15-15, before Raducanu goes wide on her attempted pass.
The tennis, blighted by disappointing serving from both players, has yet to reach any sort of high standard and the rallies have been scarce, although a rare long exchange concludes with another mistake from Raducanu and it’s break point.
Alexandra returns well and that’s four straight game wins from the Russian, who is now serving for the set.
Alexandrova breaks serve.
06:27 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-4 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Raducanu wins the first point but finds the tramlines with her attempted crosscourt pass.
She needs to stay more patient and wait for unforced errors from Alexandrova, who obliges by going long on the next point.
But Raducanu errs on her backhand side this time and it’s 30-30.
But Raducanu is returning well as Alexandrova struggles with her first serve and the Russian shrieks with frustration when going wide with her attempted pass.
Alexandrova salvages the break point with a clever drop shot that Raducanu can’t reach.
She then delivers a booming forehand cross to edge ahead in the match.
06:21 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-3 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
Some fine hitting from Alexandrova and suddenly the British No 2 is in the back foot, 0-40 down after a superb cross-court forehand into the corner from the Russian.
Raducanu save one break-point but loses the next point with another regulation forehand into the net to cede her serve game.
Alexandrova breaks serve.
06:16 PM GMT
Raducanu 3-2 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Alexandrova goes 0-40 down with a combination of disappointing first serves and powerful hitting from Raducanu but the Russian battles back to deuce.
Raducanu melts a superb forehand pass down the line to bring up a fourth break point but then nets a regulation forehand to let her opponent off the hook.
Better serving from the Russian gives her game point and Raducanu’s attempted forehand cross hits the top of the net and Alexandrova narrowly clings on to her service game.
A let-off there from Raducanu.
06:10 PM GMT
Raducanu* 3-1 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
There are some longer rallies in this game as Alexandrova appears to get the measure of Raducanu’s serve.
Raducanu is struggling with her first serve but uses the slice shot to good effect and wins the game with a delightful pass.
Raducanu* 3-6, 0-1 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
06:04 PM GMT
Raducanu 2-1 Alexandrova* (*denotes server)
Alexandrova struggles to impose herself on her serve and loses the first three points to hand Raducanu the chance for three early breaks.
The Russian saves the first break point but nets Raducanu’s return and the British No2 has broken serve.
Alexandrova can barely disguise her disgust at that service game.
Raducanu breaks serve.
06:01 PM GMT
Raducanu* 1-1 Alexandrova (*denotes server)
Raducanu throws in an ace and a double-fault but holds on to win her opening nerve-settling service game.
05:59 PM GMT
Raducanu 0-1* Alexandrova (*denotes server)
And they’re off!
Alexandrova holds serve with a comfortable first service game.
05:40 PM GMT
Raducanu coming shortly
The Volynets v Andreeva marathon has finally concluded with a comeback victory for the Russian 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 which means Raducanu v Alexandrova is up next.
05:19 PM GMT
Raducanu still waiting
Volynets v Andreeva is becoming an epic battle. The two opponents have been going tot-to-toe for two-and-a-quarter hours and the final set is going with serve. Forget Open. Raducanu might be better off making a start on War and Peace.
05:10 PM GMT
Good readers of the game
Sorry to bang on about it but while I’m on the subject I just remembered the best part about Agassi’s autobiography. It was when he rumbled Boris Becker’s serve. None of the other top tennis players of the late eighties and early nineties could quite get a read on the German’s serve – and then one day Agassi noticed that Der Bomber had this weird tick with his tongue when he was serving. He would stick it out either straight, to the left, or to the right. And, yes, he would serve in the direction his tongue happened to be pointing. But he couldn’t let on that he had unpicked the rather obvious but as yet uncracked code of the three-time Wimbledon champion’s most lethal weapon, so he had to wait for the clutch moment in the match to hit the big return that break the match open.
Perhaps Raducanu has a similar trick with Alexandrova, which is how she managed to beat her last time out despite serving more double faults than a primary school padder finalist.
04:57 PM GMT
Andreeva v Volynets goes to a decider
Sorry folks, but the wait for Raducanu’s match goes on as Andreeva has levelled at one set all after winning a tie-break against Volynets.
If you’re frustrated imagine what it must be like for the players – there is so much waiting around that goes on which impacts on when you warm up, eat, rest and so on.
I hope Raducanu’s got a good book. I can recommend Open, by Andre Agassi – a fascinating insight into the world of elite tennis. “A win doesn’t feel as good as a loss feels bad, and the good feeling doesn’t last as long as the bad,” he writes. “Not even close. I can’t dwell on tomorrow any more than I can dwell on yesterday. Tonight: I remind myself that it will require iron discipline to cope with these forces, and whatever else comes my way.”
So, Emma, avoid that losing feeling today, at all costs. An iron will, that’s what you need.
04:42 PM GMT
Alexandrova the great
Raducanu will have her work cut out against the experienced Alexandrova, who is capable of beating the very best on her day.
Ther 30-year-old has 14 top-10 wins to her name, including Iga Swiatek, whom she beat at the Miami Open last year when the Pole was still world No 1. In 2024 the Russian also beat the world No 5 Jessica Pegula and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina while Coco Gauff and Sabalenka are among previous vanquished opponents.
All of which makes Raducanu’s victory over Alexandrova in Melbourne the more impressive. She will need to channel all of the determination that earned her that 7-6, 7-6 win – and preferably serve better. She hit 15 double-faults in that match and admitted: “My serve had a mind of its own.”
04:16 PM GMT
Centre court awaits
In case you were wondering Raducanu’s match is being slightly held up by the match preceding hers on Centre Court.
The precocious 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva is being given a stern test by the aptly-named American Katie Volynets, who took the first set and is threatening to take the second. That match stands at 6-4. 4-4.
04:06 PM GMT
When will a coach be hired?
Injury niggles aside Raducanu’s recent form has not been helped by upheaval off the court. She is currently without a coach after parting ways with Nick Cavaday in Melbourne, which came about due to an ongoing health issue affecting the former player, whom she has known since childhood.
“I’d like to thank Nick for a great partnership over the last year and a bit,” she said last month. “Especially being post-surgeries, he helped get me back inside the world’s top 60. I wish him all the best in his next chapter and no doubt we’ll stay in touch.”
Raducanu has moved to step up her athleticism by employing the highly regarded fitness guru Yutaka Nakamura and he was helped on court at the tournament last week by Roman Kelecic, who worked with her when she was a junior.
She has recently been turning to Jane O’Donoghue, a former player and coach, who although not involved in tennis full-time, is a close confidante and family friend. It seems that O’Donoghue will step in until Raducanu, if she so chooses, decided to employ a full-time coach. To this end one or two names have been mentioned in dispatches...
03:38 PM GMT
Raducanu worthy of a wild card?
Some believe that Raducanu is lucky to be in the Qatar Open at all, after having been handed a wild-card entry ahead of Belinda Bencic.
Bencic returned after only 13 months of maternity leave to reach the fourth round at Melbourne and on Saturday she claimed a ninth WTA title. The Swiss won the Abu Dhabi Open by defeating Ashlyn Krueger in the final to seal her first tournament win since becoming a mother
Yet, despite this remarkable achievement, the WTA elected to hand Raducanu, who crashed out of the Abu Dhabi Open in the first round, a wild card in Bencic’s stead.
Since returning from surgery in 2024, Raducanu has received an eye-opening 12 wild-card entries, sparking a debate as to whether the WTA are prioritising marketability over meritocracy.
Let’s just hope the 2021 US Open winner can justify the WTA’s faith with a return to form today.
03:22 PM GMT
Unlucky (re) draw
If some reports are to be believed Raducanu has been a bit unlucky with the draw because apparently she was originally the fifth name out of the hat and due to face Anna Kalinskaya, the No 14 seed.
However, due to a technical mishap/human error inputting the names, Qatar Open organisers were allegedly forced to restart Friday’s draw.
The incorrect draw sheet was never ratified or circulated, although leaked screenshots did appear on social media.
In the ‘redraw’ Raducanu was the first name out, and was pitted against Alexandrova, and then potentially Sabalenka, who has a first-round bye, in the second.
02:34 PM GMT
Can British No 2 find form and fitness?
Raducanu is ranked 56th in the world and so could do with going deep in Qatar, although in truth that is a rather lofty ambition considering that her next opponent, should she come through this test, is none other than Sabalenka, the world No 1.
As much as anything you suspect the British No 2 will be hoping her fitness holds out as she has been prone to a serious of injury niggles since returning from her long-term absence last year – after missing most of the 2023 season following surgery on both wrists and her left ankle – the latest being a neck problem that bothered her throughout her last match.
Alexandrova, meanwhile, is fresh off her maiden WTA 500 title in Linz, which lifted her to No 25 in the world and, having lost to Raducanu in Melbourne, has both the form and the hunger to avenge that defeat today.
11:49 AM GMT
Good afternoon
Welcome to our live coverage of Emma Raducanu’s Qatar Open last-64 tie against Ekaterina Alexandrova. Raducanu took a wild card to appear in this tournament as she looks to find some semblance of form after a disappointing – or at least inconsistent – run of results.
Raducanu joins plenty of the leading players in the world for the tournament in Doha, with Aryna Sbalenka and Iga Swiatek in the field, though Australian Open champion Madison Keys is not partaking.
Her first major of the year was promising in some ways as she reached a career-best third round in Melbourne. It all came to an end with a chastening 6-1, 6-0 hammering by Swiatek.
That was followed up by a three-sets defeat by Cristina Bucsa in the first round of the Singapore Open and then a straight-sets loss to Marketa Vondrusova in Abu Dhabi earlier in the week. Serving posed a particular problem for her in that game.
Combined with losing her coach Nick Cavaday, who has stepped down for health reasons, it has been a typically rocky start to the year.
In more encouraging news, her opponent today is a woman she beat in the first round of her 2025 Australian Open campaign, albeit by a tight margin in both sets. That represents the only time the pair have faced off on the tour, so the Briton maintains a 100 per cent record.
