Great Britain's hopes at the United Cup in Perth were dashed after a 2-0 defeat to Greece in the decisive round-robin tie. The loss was sealed by Emma Raducanu's 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 defeat to Maria Sakkari in her first match of the new season, following a courageous effort from Billy Harris against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Raducanu's Fitness Battle Ends in Defeat
Emma Raducanu entered the match surrounded by uncertainty after it was revealed she had been managing a foot injury throughout the off-season. The British captain, Tim Henman, had even described her prospects as uncertain due to her compromised preparation.
Despite the doubts, the 22-year-old showed flashes of her quality. After dropping the first set, Raducanu found her rhythm in the second, producing some impressive shot-making to level the match. However, she could not sustain the challenge in the decider. Sakkari, renowned for her fitness, maintained her intensity while Raducanu's level dropped, allowing the Greek world number eight to secure her first ever victory over the Briton at the fifth attempt.
Harris Pushes Tsitsipas in Epic Encounter
Earlier, British number five Billy Harris, a late replacement for the injured Jack Draper, delivered a performance that belied his ranking of 127. Facing former world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas, Harris played some of the best tennis of his career.
He took the game to the struggling Greek, serving powerfully and aggressively targeting Tsitsipas's one-handed backhand to claim the first set. Although Tsitsipas hit back to force a decider, Harris pushed him all the way to a final-set tie-break. Ultimately, Tsitsipas's experience told as he clinched a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) victory to put Greece 1-0 up.
Broader Implications and British Positives
The 2-0 result ends Great Britain's hopes of progressing from the group stage of the mixed-team tournament. For Raducanu, the match was a mixed bag, offering encouraging signs about her movement post-injury but also highlighting the familiar challenge of maintaining consistency over three sets against top opponents.
In more positive British tennis news, Francesca Jones secured the biggest win of her career at the Auckland Open. The world number 72 stunned second seed and world number 15 Emma Navarro in the first round, marking her first ever victory over a top-40 player.
For Raducanu and the British team, focus now shifts to individual preparations for the Australian Open, with questions over match sharpness and physical resilience likely to dominate the narrative.
