Li advances in Wuhan after Raducanu retires

Ann Li advanced to the second round of the Dongfeng Voyah · Wuhan Open after Emma Raducanu was forced to retire trailing 6-1, 4-1 due to dizziness.

Wuhan: Scores | Draws | Order of play

Former US Open champion Raducanu made a strong start to her tournament debut, putting away a volley to break Li in the opening game. But the American hit back with a slew of forehand winners -- along with four aces -- to rattle off six straight games and the first set.

By contrast, Raducanu's forehand wing leaked errors throughout. After she double faulted to fall behind a double break in the second set, the Briton was visited on court by the doctor, and called it quits following that consultation.

No. 46-ranked Li will face No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the second round.

Earlier, former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin escaped qualifier Anastasia Zakharova 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 after saving two match points trailing 5-4 in the second set. The American stayed on the front foot in two clutch baseline exchanges to escape both, then also came from a break down in the decider to win the last four straight games. Kenin will next face No. 16 seed Liudmila Samsonova, who saved four set points trailing lucky loser Emiliana Arango 5-4 in the second set en route to a 6-1, 7-5 victory.

Kenin's win was the first time she had won from match point down since the first round of Cleveland 2024, where she saved one to defeat Katie Volynets 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.