Emma Raducanu's struggles continued as she suffered a three-set defeat to lucky loser Antonia Ruzic at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The British No 1, who had retired from her previous match at the Qatar Open due to high blood pressure, bowed out 6-1 5-7 6-2 in a match that saw her take a medical time-out after losing the first set.

Raducanu had been scheduled to face Elisabetta Cocciaretto, but the Italian withdrew with a thigh injury after playing eight matches in eight days. This opened the door for world No 67 Ruzic, who had lost in qualifying but entered the main draw as a replacement. The 23-year-old Croatian, despite coming into the match on a five-match losing streak, proved too strong for Raducanu, who appeared restricted in her movement throughout.

The defeat adds to Raducanu's recent struggles, coming just days after her retirement in Qatar and following her loss in the Transylvania Open final. The match featured multiple momentum shifts, with Raducanu saving multiple match points in the second set before Ruzic eventually closed out the contest in the deciding set.