ROME — In a women’s matchup at the Italian Open of two US Open champions, Bianca Andreescu advanced Tuesday when Emma Raducanu retired due to a lower back injury with Andreescu ahead 6-2, 2-1.
“Definitely disappointed with how today went. But I guess I wanted to give it a try. I never really knew how bad it was until I kind of went out there,” Raducanu told reporters.
“I’m still learning when it’s right to push my body and push through it, and when it’s not. I guess that’s something I’m learning at these tournaments.
“After Madrid 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 two days off.”
Madrid Open runner-up Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, rallied past Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
American qualifiers Madison Brengle and Lauren Davis both advanced in straight sets in the event seen as a final warm-up for the French Open. Brengle beat fellow qualifier Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-3 and Davis defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-3.
Amanda Anisimova, another American and a French Open semifinalist in 2019, held off Czech qualifier Tereza Martincova 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 and will next play Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic.
Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, was beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Ekaterina Alexandrova.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
