Emma Raducanu runs out of steam in crushing Transylvania Open final defeat

There was at least one title for British tennis fans to celebrate on a day that was the first in history to feature two female players from this country in separate WTA tour singles finals. Katie Boulter won the Ostrava Open after coming back from a set down to beat Tamara Korpatsch, the world No 124 from Germany, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 and will return to the top 100 on Monday at a ranking of No 84, putting her back inside the cut line for direct entry to grand-slam tournaments.

While Raducanu fell one step short, there are positives that she can take from her run to the final. She was eager to adopt a more attacking style after her split last week with coach Francisco Roig and certainly did so to good effect earlier in the tournament, with three straight-sets victories before coming through a three-set test in the semi-finals.

Questions over her physical condition will continue, however, after such a tame finish. This was only the second time since her US Open victory that she had managed to claim four consecutive victories at the same event, and her fitness did not look up to the task in the fifth and final match.

“It was a great feeling to be in a final again,” Raducanu said. “I really enjoyed playing here. The crowd really made me feel like I was at home. It was a really special week for me. Today I didn’t feel great but nevertheless it’s not going to take away from my week.”

The first set was completely one-sided. Cirstea, at 35 a tour veteran who is planning to retire at the end of this season, looked comfortable controlling play from the start, which was such a contrast to Raducanu, with one winner and 19 unforced errors throughout the set. It was only the fifth time that Raducanu had lost a set 6-0 in her career on the WTA tour.

Raducanu finally stopped the rot at 2-0 down in the second set, suddenly breaking the Cirstea serve to love, before calling the tournament physio and doctors out to the court for medical checks.

Although she managed to level the set at 2-2, it was to be the last game she won and she meekly conceded match point at 5-2 down with a sixth double fault.

“Sorana played great all week,” Raducanu said. “She’s in form for sure. I am really happy that she was able to win this title at home. It meant a lot to her.”

Raducanu, who is projected to rise five spots to No 25 in Monday’s updated world rankings, is scheduled to participate this coming week at the Qatar Open in Doha, although it is uncertain as to whether she will be fit enough to play at this strong event on the WTA 1000 series. In a field that contains the Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina and the world No 2 Iga Swiatek, Raducanu has been drawn to play Camila Osorio, a Colombian qualifier ranked No 80, in the first round.

There are also decisions to be made soon by Raducanu on her coaching situation. In Cluj-Napoca she was assisted by Alexis Canter, a British former player who has often travelled with her in the past as a hitting partner. While he will continue to help, it is probable that Raducanu will look to appoint a more seasoned coach in the coming weeks.

Boulter, meanwhile, is clearly happy with her coaching arrangements. Just two months into a new partnership with Michael Joyce, an American who formerly worked with Maria Sharapova, there is success to toast after Boulter took full advantage of an opportunity to claim the fourth WTA title of her career. Her five opponents in Ostrava were ranked between No 89 and No 276, although Boulter still deserves much credit for the way in which she battled back when it mattered most in Saturday’s final.

This return to form is what Boulter has desperately been seeking for some time — last year she only once won consecutive matches at a WTA tournament. She fell to No120 after her Australian Open first-round exit, which was her lowest ranking since June 2023, but the 29-year-old is hopeful she is back on track with Joyce coaching her.

“We’re only a few weeks into business right now, Mikey, but we’ve got one in the bag,” Boulter said, before referencing Joyce’s 53rd birthday last Sunday. “It’s your birthday week and that was a present to you. Hopefully we can keep doing a lot of work.”

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