Emma Raducanu opened her grass-court season with a heartening 6-1. 6-4 win over Ena Shibahara in the first round of the Rothesay Open – and a sharp jab at the Brazilian umpire Ana Carvalho. Her straight-sets victory over the Japanese qualifier in Nottingham was followed by a pointed attack on the standard of the officiating.
There is no Hawk-Eye system in operation at the tournament and Raducanu was distinctly unimpressed after a series of tight calls went against her. “I feel like I was playing two v one on court – it was insane,” said Raducanu. “I would have used probably at least four challenges [if we’d had them].
Raducanu’s displeasure peaked when the umpire overturned a line judge’s out call for a backhand volley from Shibahara in the third game – the only one the former world No 10, currently down at 279 in the rankings after her injury problems – won in the first set.
Having already queried the two other calls by that point, Raducanu marched up to the chair and remonstrated with the official over the decision. “She [Shibahara] reacted like it was out,” said Raducanu to no avail.
Regardless, Raducanu performed well on home soil in front of an enthusiastically supportive crowd in her first match on grass for almost two years.
She looked physically at ease in her 70 minutes on court, bringing up her first victory at the Nottingham event at the third time of asking.
Raducanu suffered a minor stutter closing out the match but when Shibahara struck a forehand into the net to end the contest there was a clench of the fist and a broad grin.
