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Emma Raducanu’s first appearance this year resulted in such a short-lived thumping that she headed straight for the practice courts afterwards.
The only way is up for the US Open champion, who is unlikely to hold much fear for her potential opponents when the Australian Open draw is made on Thursday.
It was all too evident just how many gaps Raducanu has to fill in her game as she lost 6-0, 6-1 in only 55 minutes to world No 13 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, at the Sydney Tennis Classic.
Emma Raducanu hit the practice courts immediately after her Sydney Tennis Classic defeat
So comprehensive was the thrashing, she and new coach Torben Beltz immediately worked on post-match repairs.
‘After the match I got a box of balls and went straight to the practice court,’ the British No1 said. ‘I felt like I could have done some things better in the match and I wanted to try and fix it straightaway, just leave with a better feeling about it.’
On this evidence, Raducanu cannot be expected to survive the first week at Melbourne Park — although, as a seed, she will be spared
