Emma Raducanu said she was not too pleased with the level she displayed in her 6-2 6-4 defeat to Zheng Qinwen at the Queen’s Club Championships on Friday, but the Briton dismissed any fears of a serious back injury.
In an entertaining battle, Raducanu had a few bright moments and secured a double break to go 3-0 up in the second set after taking a medical timeout for a back issue, but she was eventually overpowered by the Chinese world number five.
“I’ve played five matches in a pretty short amount of time. I’m probably feeling that, so I need to let the back rest and see how it goes from there,” Raducanu, who also competed in the doubles alongside Katie Boulter, told the BBC after her defeat in London.
“I’m not overly concerned that (the back issue) is something serious, but I know it’s something that’s very annoying and needs proper and careful management.
“I’ve improved a lot and done a lot of good work behind the scenes, but there’s a lot to go to get to the next level. They are stronger than me and have had more time training – I need to do the same. I need to raise my level.”
Raducanu is next scheduled to compete at the German Open in Berlin as she continues her preparations for Wimbledon.
