Emma Raducanu’s first match in two months ended in a narrow defeat to wily Frenchwoman Diane Parry at the WTA 500 tournament in Strasbourg.
Raducanu had won their only previous meeting, a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier two years ago also on clay, in three sets, and this proved another tight encounter.
The British No 1 was playing in her first tournament since Indian Wells, having struggled to recover from a viral illness over the spring, and had not made a clay-court appearance until now.
However she did not appear troubled physically and went toe-to-toe with Parry, the world No 94, over the course of a topsy-turvy battle lasting two hours and 25 minutes, losing 6-4, 7-6(4).
Raducanu was also playing in her first tournament alongside new coach Andrew Richardson, who was reinstated five years after coaching her to her US Open triumph, and frequently turned to her box for support.
The slow clay court in Strasbourg posed problems for Raducanu and having led 4-2 she lost her way, with Parry storming back to lead 5-4. A stray forehand by the Frenchwoman handed Raducanu three break-back points, but she recovered well to pile pressure on the increasingly tight Briton and fired down an ace to claim the first set 6-4 in just shy of an hour.
Momentum continued to swing either way in the second set, with Parry whipping a vicious forehand down the line to earn a chance for an early break at 1-1. Raducanu’s serve troubled her throughout and although a double fault gave Parry a third break point in a mammoth game, a superb overhead smash right at the feet of the French No 4 kept her in the game and Parry hit long to gift Raducanu the hold.
From there the former US Open champion increased her aggression, holding to 15 for 3-2 and breaking Parry with a sweet drop shot at the net to lead 4-2.
It was the exact same scoreline by which she led in the first set and again Raducanu crumbled, double faulting to hand a break back for 4-3. Parry maintained her composure on serve and another two double faults by Raducanu in the ninth game put her 0-40 down. She fought back to deuce but another double fault handed Parry the initiative and she hit long to fall 5-4 behind.
Parry wobbled serving for the match at 5-4 and gutsy play from Raducanu gave her a chance to break back, with the French No 4 firing long to let her back into the match at 5-5.
Raducanu battled valiantly back from triple break point down in the next game, with a fortunate net cord bringing her to deuce, but Parry broke serve for the fifth time in another lengthy game to give her another opportunity to serve out.
But the Briton refused to let her head drop and broke once more – this time with an impressive display of athleticism and a drop shot she only just pushed over the net – to force a tie-break.
As had been the case for the entire match it proved a topsy-turvy affair, with Parry up 2-0 before a brilliant cross-court winner by Raducanu. However, she then double faulted once more to give Parry a mini-break, and although she scrapped back to level at 4-4, a wayward strike drifted long to hand over the tiebreak and the match.
Despite the straight-sets defeat this was a positive display for 23-year-old Raducanu, whose fitness held up despite her lengthy layoff, although she remains short of match practice going into the French Open, which begins on Sunday 24 May.
