Despite a strong comeback, Raducanu exits in the second round at Eastbourne
After an emotional first-round victory against Li (6-7, 6-3, 6-1), Raducanu faced Joint in the second round of the Eastbourne tournament. The two players had met only once before on the tour, earlier this year in Rome (Raducanu won 7-5, 6-7, 6-3).
On Centre Court, spectators initially saw the British player take control of the match by winning the first set 6-4. With strong first serves and a slightly higher return percentage than her opponent, she demonstrated great consistency in her service games.
However, the momentum completely shifted in the following set, with Raducanu struggling and allowing the Australian to level the match at one set apiece. Ranked 51st in the WTA, Joint stood out with her clutch play in key moments (2/3 break points converted).
Trailing 5-2 in the third set, Raducanu staged an impressive comeback to force a tie-break against the 19-year-old. Ultimately, she fell short, losing the tie-break 7-4 and the match 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 after 2 hours and 32 minutes.
In the quarterfinals, Joint will face Russia’s Blinkova, the world No. 69.
Eastbourne 
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