Andreescu Gets Retirement From Raducanu At Rome Masters, Jabeur Wins; Swiatek Returns Tomorrow

The big showdown between US Open champions Bianca Andreescu and Emma Raducanu at the Rome Masters never finished as the Brit retired down in the second set 6-2, 2-1 due to her back issues.

“I thought that maybe taking one, two days off, it would just go away because a lot of the other small niggles I’ve had, they’ve kind of gone away after taking, like, two days off,” Raducanu reflected after.

“Then I got here and I was training, but it just didn’t seem to get better. I was training with some limitations. I wasn’t moving really, I was just playing where I knew where the ball was coming, just staying in one corner. I think I must have underestimated the unpredictability of competition in a match, you have to react.”

Madrid champion Ons Jabeur kept her momentum ousting Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 7-6(1). Jabeur led 6-0, 5-2 then hung on as Cirstea stormed back.

Jessica Pegula also advanced rallying from a set down to deny Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Countrywoman Amanda Anisimova also was a winner in three defeating qualifier Tereza Martincova 6-2, 0-6, 6-4.

She’ll now face gold medalist Belinda Bencic.

Fellow Americans Sloane Stephens and Shelby Rogers lost but Lauren Davis upset Jelena Ostapenko. The Latvian has now lost her last five matches.

Tomorrow, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek returns after missing Madrid. She’ll open her title defense against Elena Gabriela Ruse. She’s won her last 23 matches.

“I just had like five or six days off without the racquet, which was pretty nice,” said Swiatek of her break. “It’s pretty good to have opportunity to do something like that in between tournaments, in the middle of the season.

“I feel like I’m more fresh. For sure mentally and physically I had time to rest. Yeah, I came back to work after these five days. We went to Rafael Nadal Academy, so it was pretty cool.

“It’s pretty weird because I really rested, then they almost killed me on the practices so… Hopefully it’s going to give me more power and I’m going to be more ready to play well next tournaments.”

Paula Badosa, Aryna Sabalenka and Garbine Muguruza are also on court.