Transylvania Open final: Emma Raducano defeated in straight sets by Sorana Cirstea

On the purple court in Cluj-Napoca, Raducanu looked tired and lacking in energy after her valiant attempt to beat Olenikova in three sets.

Cirstea was sharper from the start, breaking Raducanu early and grinding through the rest of the first set to take the bagel.

The Romanian took a 2-0 lead in the second set when Raducanu finally put her first game on the board. She slowly sat up, sought medical attention, and received words of encouragement from her coach.

It looked like Raducanu’s final might end prematurely, but she continued the match and won the next game to even the tie.

However, Cirstea, who is in the final year of her career, quickly regained control and a double fault from Raducano on championship point ended any hopes of the Briton winning a second title.

“I didn’t feel good today on the court, so it was a bit disappointing for my first final after a long time,” Raducano said.

He added: “But I must also say that Sorana played an amazing match from the beginning and put a lot of pressure on me.”

Although she is not accustomed to playing four matches in a row, Raducano added that her trip to the final was “a step in the right direction.”