Emma Raducanu blown away by blustery wind and Daria Kasatkina at Eastbourne

Emma Raducanu was defeated by Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-2 at Eastbourne - Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon build-up ended in a quarter-final exit from Eastbourne that was accelerated by a gale-force wind.

While the players had enjoyed balmy weather on the south coast in the early part of this week, the wind got up dramatically for quarter-finals day. And these conditions were hardly ideal for playing against a resourceful defender like Daria Kasatkina.

There were three British women on Thursday’s schedule: first Harriet Dart, then Katie Boulter, and finally Raducanu. But each of them went out in straight sets, looking confounded by the challenging conditions.

As the BBC’s analyst Naomi Broady pointed out afterwards, the Britons would probably have preferred to be facing big-hitters on an awkward day like this. But instead they were all up against skilful yet diminutive manipulators of a tennis ball.

First Dart lost to Leylah Fernandez, then Boulter went out to Jasmine Paolini, and finally Raducanu fell to Kasatkina by a 6-2, 6–2 scoreline. Towards the end of this match, Raducanu was so baffled by some of the odd bounces and trajectories that she couldn’t help laughing at her own incapacity to time the ball.

Still, a couple of wins in Eastbourne should be enough to send all three players to Wimbledon with a positive mindset. The exception might be Dart, who was wearing a giant plaster on the knee she hurt while slipping over on Wednesday.

Emma Raducanu vs Daria Kasatkina: as it happened

05:28 PM BST

All three British women exit in straight sets

Emma Raducanu has been knocked out of the Rothesay International at Eastbourne is straight sets by Russia’s Daria Kasatkina, crowing a disappointing day for Britain’s women after Jasmine Paolini defeated Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart went out at the hands of Leylah Fernandez. The three Britons won only 14 games between them over three matches as each struggled to come to terms with blustery winds.

Raducanu, whose serve was broken four times in the second set, found her opponents’ ‘slow-ball’ style hard to counter and she made a string of unforced errors as she tried to put pace on her strokes, flustered by Kasatkina’s defensive play.

There was some suggestion, too, from the commentators that Raducanu’s victories over Sloane Stephens and her impressive comeback to beat Jessica Pegula on Wednesday had sapped some of the spring from her legs as a result of her long lay-offs over the past 18 months.

Although it was largely a day to forget for the former US Open champion, her performances leading up to defeat and her durability in Nottingham a fortnight ago means she can go to Wimbledon on Monday for the first time in two years with some hope and another supportive crowd at her back.

05:08 PM BST

Raducanu 2-6, 2-6 Kasatkina

Raducanu smiles when defeated by the slow-ball and low-balling of Kasatkina’s slice.

Kasatkina comes to the net to move to match point at 40-30, judging the conditions far better than Raducanu.

The Russian fires a serve up the centre mark and Raducanu cannot get it back over.

And that’s that. Game, set and match Kasatkian 6-2, 6-2.

05:05 PM BST

Raducanu 2-6, 2-5 Kasatkina* (*Next server)

One senses that all her chances rest on holding her serve here but she gets off to a poor start, misjudging the toss and she makes two errors to go alongside a fine forehand Kasatkina winner to trail 15-40 and she has to try to defend break point on her second serve.

She can’t. Kasatkina drives a forehand winner from middle to the right to break yet again.

The Russian serves for the match. Raducanu can’t find any rhythm. She has been thoroughly discombulated by the wind and Kasatkina’s horrible, disruption strategy.

05:02 PM BST

Raducanu* 2-6, 2-4 Kasatkina (*Next server)

There’s life in this yet, though, as Raducanu comes out swinging against Kasatkina’s diet of defensive chips and ‘junk balls’. Kasatkina’s serve hasn’t been as good as her returning and Raducanu piles the pressure on to break to 15.

04:56 PM BST

Raducanu 2-6, 1-4 Kasatkina* (*Next server)

Third break in succession for Kasatkina as Raducanu’s serve crumbles in the blustery wind.

04:55 PM BST

Raducanu* 2-6, 1-3 Kasatkina (*Next server)

Sam Smith and Giles are reframing this as a very positive learning experience for Raducanu, playing against such a defensive style from someone so much taller than her.

Raducanu pounces on a shonky second serve from Kasatkina after a double fault to whip a forehand winner and move to 15-30.

Raducanu passes her opponent at the net after the Russian taps a volley rather than stroking it to move to break point which Kasatkina defends with a spinning forehand crosscourt.

Raducanu’s fire versus Kasatkina’s extinguisher game is fascinating to watch as they swing from advantage apiece back to deuce.

Backhand error from Raducanu is retrieved to take it back to deuce with a scything forehand winner but Kasatkina moves ahead with a kicking serve into the corner and the Russian scrambles to a hold.

Raducanu is finding it hard to get into rallies because Kasatkina takes all the pace off her groundstrokes making their flight unpredicatble in the wind - Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

04:44 PM BST

Raducanu 2-6, 1-2 Kasatkina* (Next server)

Is the tide turning. A couple of winners for Raducanu which even she expected to drift wide followed by Kasatkina’s wild backhand return takes Raducanu to 40-love.

Possibly not … Kasatkina wins the next point when she waits for the deep overhead to kick up off the baseline and flays a drive volley winner.

A double fault comes at the most inopportune moment to make it 40-30 and then she frames a forehand. This is ‘slow-balling’ from Kasatkina as Annabel Giles calls it. And the Russian moves from 40-30 down to advantage when she uses her height disadvantage and spin to bamboozle Raducanu again.

And Kasatkina breaks back after the break-back when, to silence, Raducanu pans a forehand from centre out to the right into the tramlines.

04:38 PM BST

Raducanu* 2-6, 1-1 Kasatkina (Next server)

Is this a chink as Kasatkina cedes two break points with a double fault. Raducanu cannot take the first opportunity as her backhand return tails wide.

But she does take the second to break back with a low backhand winner up the line while crouching.

04:34 PM BST

Raducanu 2-6, 0-1 Kasatkina* (Next server)

Good backhand winner from Kasatkina takes it to 15-all but then exceeds her range with a forehand that she hooks out. Raducanu seizes the initiative with an ace down the T but then pulls her forehand off the Russian’s blocked return into the net.

Kasatkina’s defensive play is horrible to face. She gives her opponent nothing to harness, they have to impart all the power themselves which is exhausting. And when they make a mistake, she pounces, this time with a forehand winner.

Raducanu misjudges the wind at deuce and then chips a drop shot into the net.

Break of serve.

04:28 PM BST

Raducanu* 2-6 Kasatkina (Next server)

Errors have not been eradUcated from Emma’s game by being at the end where she’s hitting into the wind and, although the BBC commentators think Kasatkina is a little rattled, the Russian holds to 30 with a couple of big forehands and an Aztec Camera Deep & Wide & Tall serve.

04:23 PM BST

Raducanu 2-5 Kasatkina* (Next server)

Kastakina monsters Raducanu’s serve to move love-40 up until Raducanu wakens a stunned crowd with a crosscourt forehand drive.

Radders uses the same stroke but with a lower trajectory to win a successive point and take it to 30-40 and then forces an error from Kasatkina who is too early on a drive up the line which veers out.

Deuce. Having defended three set points, Raducanau gives her another when foxed by a spinning, chipped return, all pace off.

Raducanu defends another by hanging deep in the rally and waiting for the error and swings it to her advantage when Kasatkina chips a low backhand long.

On we go as Raducanu hooks a forehand wide, then regains advantage with a wickedly swerving one-handed backhand drop shot.

And something to build one when she holds on her second serve, Kasatkina pumping the return into the net.

Kasatkina had four set points but Raducanu held on - GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images

04:15 PM BST

Raducanu* 1-5 Kasatkina (Next server)

Raducanu plays a delicate one-handed backhand drop shot off Kasatkina’s big, sliced forehand to tie it up at 15-all before Kasatkina foreces Raducanu very wide with her second serve and then lamps a forehand winner down the other line.

Raducanu nets her return and is then beaten when the Russian wrongfoots her with a forehand from the centre out to the deuce court when the Briton was heading the other way.

It’s been a shoeing so far for Raducanu. Quite chastening.

04:12 PM BST

Raducanu 1-4 Kasatkina* (Next server)

Wild backhand from Raducanu hits the net post as she falls to 15-30. The wind is making her skirt billow like a sail but she plants her feet perfectly after that earlier aberration to whistle a lovely backhand crosscourt winner to wrong-foot her opponent.

Raducanu moves to 40-30 with a big first serve followed by a winner but she loses the next point because Kasatkina varies the spin, trajectory and pace with each stroke. Deuce.

Kasatkina comes to the net to move to advantage with an extraordinary volley with the ball seemingly behind her, racquet vertical..

And the Russian breaks again, Raducanu unable to keep her forehand off the return of her second serve in play.

Raducanu endures a difficult start in Eastbourne - GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images

04:04 PM BST

Raducanu* 1-3 Kasatkina (Next server)

Kasatkina is not having any problems with the wind at her back and holds to love, giving Raducanu difficulty with her heavily spun forehands.

04:00 PM BST

Raducanu 1-2 Kasatkina* (Next server)

Lovely shot from Raducanu to take the first point when she pounces on Kasatkina’s drive volley that lacks power to flay a backhand crosscourt winner. But then she nets a backhand drive. First serve keeps drifting long on the wind and a double fault as she overcompensates makes it 30-all.

Kasatkina keeps hitting the ball up the middle, waiting for mistakes, rather than allowing Raducanu to use her power from the wings and the Briton duly nets a backhand before drawing Kasatkina to do the same.

At deuce, with the wind behind her, Raducanu’s backhand drive sails too long. But she defends the break point by forcing Kasatkina into the far border of her ad court by running around and slicing a withering forehand to set up a smashed winner.

Kasatkina takes advantage again with a well-judged backhand that clips the line and Raducanu is broken when she forces a forehand too long.

03:53 PM BST

Raducanu* 1-1 Kasatkina (Next server)

Raducanu, who is wearing a long-sleeved top in the crosswind, drags a backhand crosscourt wide via a net cord, and fires two forehands wide to give Daria a 40-love lead. Raducanu’s forehand at 40-15 also catches the wind. She’s at the end closes to the main camera and it seems to be very difficult to judge the breeze from that end.

03:49 PM BST

Raducanu 1-0 Kasatkina* (Next server)

Kastakina wins the toss and elects to receive. Both women go to the net for the first point and Raducanu is the winner of a lengthy rally when Kasatkina’s drop shot drifts too long.

Raducanu also wins the next two points with blistering forehands off the returns then fires an ace down the T to hold to love. Dream start.

03:41 PM BST

Huge roar for Raducanu as she walks out

The two other Brits in the quarter-finals, Boulter and Harriet Dart, have been knocked out. Leylah Fernandez beat Dart 6-2, 6-1 in 67 minutes.

03:30 PM BST

Game, set and match Jasmine Paolini

She wins 6-1, 7-6(0). And goes through to tomorrow’s semi-final to play the winner of Raducan vs Kasatkina.

That means the second quarter-final should start in about 15 minutes.

03:28 PM BST

Into the tiebreak

And Paolini is storming head to 5-0 up and about to serve.

03:22 PM BST

Boulter saves break point

To move 6-5 ahead in the second set. Paolini keeps taking her to the brink in this set but she has stood up so far since dropping her serve.

03:07 PM BST

Boulter breaks back

To tie up the second set 4-4. The wind is making the ball toss hard to predict.

03:02 PM BST

Paolini has broken Boulter in the second set

And leads 4-2 as Boulter serves into the wind.

Jasmine Paolini seems to be cruising to victory over Katie Boulter - George Tewkesbury/PA Wire

02:42 PM BST

Better start to the second set for Boulter

The first three games of the second set have gone with serve and Boulter currently leads 2-1.

02:34 PM BST

Paolini closes out the hold to take the first set

She wins it 6-1. The French Open finalist is ranked No7 in the world after all … Boulter is 25 places lower.

02:28 PM BST

Boulter’s woes in the wind continues

She has been broken for the second time and Paolini is 5-1 up and serving for the first set.

02:20 PM BST

Boulter v Paolini update

It was going with serve as I started to write even though Boulter has yet to find her first-serve consistency. There’s a heavy crosswind that is playing havoc with her ball toss. And it mashes Boulter’s composure, double faulting twice to be broken and Paolini leads 3-1.

Boulter greets the Eastbourne crowd who gave her such a warm reception - Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for LTA

01:45 PM BST

Jumping the gun?

On Centre Court Britain’s Billy Harris has just completed his victory over Flavio Cobolli 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 and we were expecting Raducanu vs Kasatkina to follow. But first up is Katie Boulter vs Jasmine Paolini, on which I’ll try to keep you updated among other duties. If that starts around 2pm, our match could be start at any point between 3.15pm and 4.15pm.

11:58 AM BST

Preview: Tests keep coming for Raducanu

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of Emma Raducanu’s quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina from the Rothesay International at Eastbourne. Raducanu dug deep yesterday to fend off match point during her comeback to beat the No 2 seed and world No 5 Jessica Pegula 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, certainly her most impressive and arguably her most important victory for 30 months. Kasatkina was also taken to three sets by Yuan Yue but the last of them was a cakewalk, or breadwalk as she ultimately bagelled her opponent 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Kasatkina is currently No 14 in the WTA rankings, having made it to the finals of the Adelaide International and Abu Dhabi Open this season as she climbs back up after her breakthrough year in 2022. Although her baseline style is perfect for clay, she has a decent record on grass, with a runner-up spot at Eastbourne last year and she made the last four in Solihull in 2021. She has played Raducanu only once before, winning 7-5, 6-4 on the hard courts at Ostrava two years ago.

Playing at home, in Nottingham a fortnight ago and here, has been a boon for Raducanu and she rode the wave of the crowd’s support yesterday. “ I am pretty drained right now but I just want to say thanks to everyone again for getting me through some really difficult moments in that match,” she said, hoping for another uplifting experience today.

“It is incredibly difficult when you are playing someone so in form like Jessica. She came off the back of a great run in Berlin and no doubt she is feeling confident on the grass. I am really pleased with how I managed to navigate some really tough situations and I didn’t think I would be able to get myself out of it, so I would say this match is one of the more meaningful ones to me.

“I have been going through some stuff, so to come through has been really nice.”

The draw, given her injury problems over the past 18 months, has been pretty daunting but getting through to the quarter-final has been an important test of her resilience and today should give us an even better gauge of her progress and potential, whatever the outcome.

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