'Emma, Emma!' - Raducanu heads to wrong end of court as umpire gets involved at Australian Open

ByBen Snowball

Updated 20/01/2022 at 14:41 GMT

“You’re at the other end… Emma, Emma! You’re at the other end,” shouted the chair umpire as Emma Raducanu prepared for her salvage mission at the Australian Open. The youngster charged to the US Open title last year without dropping a set, but has found life much tougher in Melbourne. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+

Emma Raducanu is yet to complete a full season on the women’s tour, so she can be excused for making the odd mistake.

The Brit was busy in her own world during her second-round match with Dank Kovinic at the Australian Open, so much so that she accidentally headed to the wrong side of the court to begin the second set.

Raducanu had been hampered by a blister on her dominant right hand during the opening set, prompting the 19-year-old to call for a medical time-out so she could be taped up by the on-court physio.

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However, she saw a 3-0 lead vanish as she dropped the set and cut a concerned figure at the sit down. When she returned to the court to begin her rescue mission, she darted for the wrong end – prompting the chair umpire to intervene.

“You’re at the other end… Emma, Emma! You’re at the other end,” said the chair umpire as Raducanu wandered over to the wrong side.

Jo Durie added on Eurosport commentary: “Wrong end of the court. She seemed so concerned in that last game. Not herself at all. She looks thoroughly fed up.”

The minor hiccup comes after Raducanu headed to her chair early during her opening round win over Sloane Stephens, only to be told by the chair umpire that the score was 40-15 and she had not won the game.

• 'It changes how you feel' - Raducanu charge halted by blister
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Raducanu has medical time-out for blister at Australian Open

Despite the blister, Raducanu bravely battled on but eventually went down 6-4 4-6 6-3 to Montenegrin world No. 98 Kovinic.

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