Emma Raducanu's second tennis match of her comeback did not go as planned, but she'll take plenty of positives from a valiant effort.
The British tennis star came within a few points of victory but lost agonizingly 7-6, 6-7, 1-6 in almost three hours against the second-seeded Elina Svitolina. She led the second-set tiebreak early on with a mini-break but struggled with her composure and fitness.
Her performance level at the ASB Classic, where she was playing as a wild card entrant, showcased why she is regarded as one of the world's top tennis stars, but her health has been the determinant factor of how her career has panned out so far.
Having recovered from three surgeries, there is concern within Raducanu's camp that her injury nightmare is not over. In her second-round match against the Ukrainian, the former US Open champion was visibly sporting heavy strapping on her upper leg.
Pictures emerging from practice on Thursday morning were also conspicuous with the same bandage applied to her thigh. However, it has to be said that Raducanu did not struggle with her movement for most of this match, blitzing a series of winners from almost every part of the baseline.
She was a pacesetter early on, but Svitolina grew into the match. And when the contest went down the stretch, it was the WTA's Comeback Player of the Year who had high fitness levels to close out the match routinely.
Aside from a strapped thigh, Raducanu had an issue with her back, according to a tweet by British journalist James Gray, although none of this claim is confirmed. It will be intriguing to hear Raducanu's assessment of the match and clear any doubt about an injury.
She has previously said it was natural to feel an element of "discomfort" like general fatigue, having missed almost eight months of competition. So it is entirely possible she could be taking a preventive measure.
The 21-year-old is in dear need of a stroke of good luck. She was due to play in the Australian Open qualifiers. But because of a high number of withdrawals, her Special Ranking of World No. 103 has been sufficient to earn her a main draw spot in Melbourne, and she'll be praying to avoid any niggling injuries before then.
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