Emma Raducanu has lost her first final since her US Open triumph in 2021 after falling in straight sets to Sorana Cirstea at the Translyvania Open.
The 23-year-old was thrashed 6-0 in the first set and, despite being more competitive in the second, lost that 6-2.
Raducanu came into this WTA 250 tournament as the top seed but facing uncertainty after crashing out of the Australian Open first round in January – and then sacking her coach Franciso Roig.
But she was no match for 35-year-old Cirstea, the third seed in her homeland, who is in the final season of her career.
Raducanu had written a story of comebacks in the week leading up to this, recovering from 5-0 down against Kaja Juvan in the second round and overturning a set deficit in the semis against Oleksandra Oliynykova.
She also had an unblemished history against Cirstea, having beaten her in straight sets in their only prior encounter at Wimbledon in 2021.
More to follow.
