British No1 Raducanu loses Eastbourne second round

Emma Raducanu, the British number one, was narrowly defeated by Australia's Maya Joint in a gripping second-round match at the Eastbourne Open. Despite trailing 5-2 in the deciding set, Raducanu mounted a remarkable comeback, breaking Joint's serve three times to force a tiebreak but ultimately fell short as Joint won four consecutive points to clinch the victory. Raducanu revealed she had received "some pretty bad news" prior to the tournament, which may have impacted her performance, and she appeared subdued and fatigued on court. The match featured several momentum shifts, with Raducanu winning the first set 6-4 before Joint dominated the next 14 games, and a tense final set saw multiple service breaks and match points for Joint. Raducanu will now focus on preparing for Wimbledon, where she previously made a breakthrough in 2021. Meanwhile, Joint, ranked 51st, advanced to the quarter-finals and will face Anna Blinkova, while another Briton, Jodie Burrage, also missed match points in a separate contest.