Emma Raducanu lost her clash with Maria Sakkari as Greece sent Great Britain tumbling out of the United Cup.
Raducanu didn’t play Great Britain’s opener at the United Cup, in which they defeated debutants Japan 2-1.
She made a return to the second group clash against Greece, but lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to fellow WTA star Sakkari.
Stefanos Tsitsipas also won his clash with Billy Harris, helping fire Greece to the quarterfinals and send Great Britain out of the United Cup.
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Emma Raducanu discusses racket change after United Cup exit
Raducanu spoke to the media after the loss, where she was asked why she had been hitting with a different racket, and what she’s looking for by testing other rackets.
The WTA superstar responded: “Yeah, I didn’t have much time to test, because I wasn’t playing for too long.
“I was just looking to see if there was anything I can gain or add and hoped that I could have that time to do it, and I did.
“I practiced those two weeks pretty much with that racket. It’s great. I just felt like to play a match and to fully trust it, it was too soon. Yeah, I just switched back to my racket.
“I know with certain shots, you feel every gram, you feel every kind of millimeter of your own racket, and you know it like your own hand. I think that’s why I went back to it.
“In a racket, I probably was looking for a bit more power, a bit more help and miles per hour on the ball, especially when it gets so heavy like it can in the evenings and with the balls.
“I was just trying that out. This one didn’t work. Yeah, probably now I’ll just stick to this until I have another gap in the season.”
Emma Raducanu issues fitness update after losing to Maria Sakkari
Raducanu wasn’t ready for the opener against Japan, with Team Captain Tim Henman calling upon Katie Swan in her absence.
Swan lost to Naomi Osaka, who incidentally was beaten by Greece’s Sakkari, who has been shining at the United Cup.
She turns her immediate focus to the quarterfinals, where Greece face a hugely tricky task against the USA, and Sakkari faces Coco Gauff.
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Raducanu meanwhile is taking confidence from the event despite her loss, having also been asked what the past five weeks have been like and how her injury has progressed.
She said: “Yeah, I started hitting two weeks ago, so it’s been a good two and a bit months where I didn’t play. I did fitness.
“Yeah, it’s been difficult to kind of increase the load and add the unpredictability of the tennis. I think today, being able to produce that, having not played, is just giving me confidence to what I can do when I do practice more.
“I know now I just need to get my head down, keep working. Yeah, it’s also first match of the season. It’s been a long break for everyone.
“I think after my last match in Ningbo, it’s been a good three months. Initially you feel a little bit alien on the court, in the first set, just playing points again. Yeah, I just need to try and recover as best as I can, just keep working.”
British number one Raducanu had previously been out of action since early October due to her foot injury.
But she can take positives from not only being able to take to the court against Sakkari, but also giving her a very good game.
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