Hobart International | Emma Raducanu's Australian Open preparation takes a hit after surprise loss to Taylah Preston
WTAThursday, 15 January 2026 at 09:26
Emma Raducanu was into the Quarter-Finals of the Hobart International and her campaign was looking a bit rosier after she got a bye through as Magdalena Frech had to withdraw but in encountering Taylah Preston, it was a different story as the Aussie ace is now into the semi-finals on home soil.
Raducanu could feasibly meet Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the Australian Open with the draw being confirmed earlier on Thursday morning but in this defeat, her making said third round could be a stretch especially given her recent injury issues.
She lacked the firepower required as she lost out to Preston who used the home turf feel to surge past the Brit. Preston herself is 204th in the WTA rankings and it is just the second time that Raducanu has lost to a player ranked that low.
"I don't really know what to say! I'm just happy to get through to the next round and play in front of everyone," said 20-year-old Preston post match on court.
Raducanu flew out the traps breaking Preston in the opening game but the Aussie broke back immediately before a one-hour suspension for rain. On resumption, Preston continued her charge overpowering Raducanu and surging 4-1 up with another break. She broke for a third time to win the first set in some style.
Raducanu misses chances as Preston surges
Raducanu fought back to begin the second set breaking serve and stepped up the intensity only for Preston to find form again. She broke back to make it 3-3. Raducanu again was handed another chance on a plate as she let a break slip at 4-4 before Preston broke again to record the biggest win of her career in Hobart.
For Raducanu who certainly needs wins given her recent in out through injury and not playing a great deal can't take a huge amount of solace from a week where she reached the Quarter-Finals but only won one game in reality.
Elsewhere in Hobart, Ana Bondar was well beaten by Elisabetta Cocciaretto and she now faces the winner of Antonia Ruzic or Olga Danilovic after a 6-2, 6-2 win. Ruzic and Danilovic have just started.
“Actually, with Anna, we played the semifinal three years ago in Lausanne, and we took nine hours to finish the match for the rain, I swear,” Cocciaretto said in her on-court interview. “So today was quite better, actually. But I mean, outdoors, it’s always like this. We try to stay focused, to play our best and to give the best on the court.”
While Iva Jovic who in theory has to be favourite for the title now will face Magda Linette for a spot in the semi-finals. She will face Preston if she gets through and it would more back-to-back semi-finals for the 18-year-old.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just In
Popular News
Latest Comments
- Wow! Parry had to endure the biggest attitudes (currently active) in the WTA: Vekic, Tauson and Parks.
mandoist02-09-2026 - ‘Fils arrived just eight days after winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati, where he beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final, and entered the US Open as one of the players expected to make a deep run.’ Fils defeated Tiafoe in the final not Carlos Alcaraz.DaveyWavey01-09-2026
- Great article!!
AceOfBase31-08-2026 - Snorting hard drugs is not an "accident" nor a "mistake". That is a Choice.mandoist28-08-2026
- No... athletes retire and that's it. No 'giftng' Wildcards -- QUALIFY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE NOT RANKED HIGH ENOUGH or stay home and cherish yourselves in the mirrors all over your houses!. This shitshow needs to be stopped... the "Look At Me" nonsense has gone on far too long.mandoist28-08-2026
- Great article! I began cheering for the “real” doubles specialists at the beginning but once they all lost their respective matches I really didn’t care who actually won the whole tournament. I liked the last four teams in the semifinals and would have enjoyed seeing any of them win the trophy! Not sure it really feels like a TRUE Grand Slam win however (and I know history will say it is!). Happy for Muchova/Mensik. Karolina is now a Grand Slam winner.DaveyWavey27-08-2026
- …and Foseca ;)DaveyWavey25-08-2026
- All the men dropping like flies. Something’s gotta be done with the tournament calendar or many more players will be on the sidelines in the near future. Surprised Carlos is back as soon as he is. Get well soon Sinner, Draper, Fokina, Rune, etc. etc. etc……DaveyWavey25-08-2026
- I want Pegula to surprise as a one-slam wonder winning in New York. She would then jump over the other three ladies for a number one ranking! I’d put my money on the two American girlies, Jessica and Coco to win in New York. Rybakina cannot seem to perform under this kind of pressure and Sabalenka appears in an anger fog ATM.DaveyWavey24-08-2026
- Well said, Andy. I got sick of Nick carrying on and on and on about Sinner. He absolutely refused to look at the facts. Now look at him. Karma is real!!!Rapunzel23-08-2026
Loading
