Emma Raducanu's preparations for Wimbledon came to an abrupt end following her second-round defeat to Australian teenager Maya Joint at the Eastbourne Open. From the outset the pair were engaged in fierce baseline rallies, both hitting powerfully and each a match for the other in the exchanges which became a case of who blinked first. In the first set it was Joint, but after that momentum shifted in favour of the Australian who hit an impressive number of winners, sometimes crafting them out of nothing to knock out Raducanu 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). Raducanu did not necessarily do too much wrong against a competitor who took her to three sets in the only other meeting between the pair in Rome earlier this year. On that occasion, Raducanu opted for a long bathroom break before racing into a 5-0 lead in the decider, but at Eastbourne she was left bent over on her seat in the break between games, in conversation with her box on the other side of the court. Joint, in only the second competitive match of her career on grass, the first being in the opening round, was adept at turning positions around, and scorelines. A fiery competitor with flaming hair and the unusual choice of sunglasses to go with the traditional visor, Joint was aggressive from the outset and never gave up and is undoubtedly a talent for the future with four wins already in the main draw over players ranked in the top 50 at just 19 years of age. She only faltered at 5-2 ahead in the deciding set, allowing Raducanu back into the game to force a tie break, with Joint sealing match point with an ace. Raducanu faces a battle to be 100 per cent fit for Wimbledon as she continues to manage an ongoing back problem. Raducanu said Wednesday's defeat Eastbourne was a 'blessing in disguise' as she could now rest before theChampionships that get under way on Monday. Having been hampered with a back issue since the start of the clay-court season in Strasbourg, the issue has continued throughout her grass-court campaign. "I'm going to rest tomorrow and just take it day by day," Raducanu said when asked about preparations for Wimbledon. "I still have a few days before Wimbledon. I'm looking forward to recovering, and hopefully it settles. "[I'll] get some practice in. I think it could be a blessing in disguise having some rest right now. I'm looking forward to heading back and then getting on the grass." During the quarter-final defeat to Zheng Qinwen at Queen's, Raducanu called a medic to the court and later said she required painkillers to complete the match. The problem was so acute she was forced to pull out of the Berlin Open, in which she had been awarded a wildcard. Raducanu is no stranger to the treatment table having undergone surgery on both wrists and an ankle since her US Open victory in 2021. In an attempt to be fit for Wimbledon, she has been undergoing a combination of dry needling, muscle stimulation, soft-tissue massages and taping."I've been managing it," she said. "I would say it bothers me, I wouldn't say it's like I can't move. Like a lot of athletes, we all carry something that we're managing and playing through but I'd just say it's okay I can play and I can still put out some pretty decent tennis."When asked if there was any chance of withdrawing from Wimbledon, Raducanu said: "I think I will step on the court regardless." What a bizarre game of tennis that was. You never felt Raducanu had her best stuff, even in the first set she won and soon after Joint made her pay for that with a set and a half of nearly faultless tennis. As soon as victory was near though she faltered, dropping three straight service games to let Raducanu back into the match before eventually finishing off the British No 1 in the tie-break. An odd but exciting match comes to a close, and with the right winner you have to say. Raducanu will now head north to London with plenty to ponder ahead of the start of Wimbledon. Here we go then, who has the nerve to get the job done here? Joint goes long with yet another forehand in this tie-break but Raducanu responds with an equally ugly forehand of her own. 4-4. Raducanu sets up the point perfectly but then misses a drop shot! Joint is two points from victory and gets lucky, very lucky. A net cord and then the back of line. She needs just one match point. Raducanu is out of Eastbourne! Raducanu takes the first point of the breaker, drawing a wild forehand from Joint which flies long. Joint responds well as big serve finds the line before Raducanu just misses as she attempts to take a secodn serve early. Joint leads 2-1 but Raducanu gets back to parity as Joint finds the middle of the net with a seemingly easy forehand before sending another wild forehand long. 3-3 at the change of ends. Raducanu needs to dig into the reserves one last time here. Joint has look jittery trying to close this match out and could be so again in a tie-break if Raducanu can get us there. She might well you know, Joint again looks tight and Raducanu makes the most of it. She's broken Joint three times in a row and we are going to a deciding tie-break. This contest has flown this. A couple of games previously it looked as though Emma Raducanu's Eastbourne journey was about to come to an end. But just as Maya Joint edged into a winning position, so came the pressure and her level dropped slightly allowing Raducanu a way back into the match. Joint gets to 0-30 thanks to some of the same punishing ground strokes that had been a feature of her game until the three most recent games. Can Raducanu respond? Seemingly not, a meek forehand finds the net and Joint has three break points. Raducanu saves the first with a wide first serve but Joint makes no mistake next time, jumping on a Raducanu drop shot. She will serve for the match for a third time. Well now Maya Joint. Can you serve this out? Raducanu takes the first point of the game as Joint nets backhand before taking the second as Joint puts a straightforward backhand volley wide. 0-30 and a massive chance for Raducanu. She then has Joint on the run again, forcing the Australian to go long before drawing another error. That's another break and third straight game for Raducanu and we are back on serve. If she does lose, Raducanu is going down with plenty of fight here. She gets to 30-0 with ease but Joint fights back to 30-30, again there's just more zip on her ground strokes than Raducanu's. That said, Raducanu holds after Joint goes long with a forehand. She is asking Maya Joint to serve this out now. Pressure very much on the Australian. Joint will now try and serve this match out. Raducanu's block return draws an error from Joint before the Australian nets, leaving the door ajar at 0-30. And break points then follow for Raducanu, two of them, can she take either to keep her hopes alive? YES SHE CAN. There's still work to do but good fight from the British No 1 there. Too good from Joint. Raducanu is a little flat but Joint has made her pay a heavy price for being off the pace. Better from Raducanu though as couple of big serves get her out of trouble at 0-30 before a deft volley at the net gives her game points. Joint extinguishes the hope of an easy hold easily though fighting back to deuce as her seemingly endless conveyor belt of heavy ground stokes rolls on. Double fault from Raducanu at deuce and Joint has the chance to get to 5-2 in this deciding set...WHICH SHE TAKES! Joint will now serve for the match. You wonder if something is affecting Raducanu here. She's looked somewhat slumped in her chair at the changeover and appeared to be doubled over as if something was affecting her stomach. That said, Raducanu fights hard against the Joint serve to earn a couple of break points. The first is ruthlessly saved by the Australian and so is the second. Not much Raducanu could have done with either of those points. Joint then goes long, however, and Raducanu has another chance to break back. Joint shuts the door again, hammering a forehand winner cross-court. Two points later, Joint finds another winner, a backhand down the line this time, and she holds. Another must-hold for Raducanu. She finds a couple of good first serves before Joint nets a mid-court to get to 40-15. More errors follow though and Joint is back to deuce. She looks the stronger player here unfortunately for British fans. Raducanu really does feel like she's hanging on for grim death. She holds, fair play, but the British No 1 needs more here. Delightful from Joint, who plays a neat drop shot before putting away Raducanu's repost at the net. A wild return from Raducanu follow and so do three game points for Joint. Raducanu needs to find a way to put some pressure on this Joint serve. I hate to be hyperbole but Radcaunu MUST win this game or you fear this match will be done quickly. Good serves to the deuce court give the Briton easy put-aways at the net. She earns a couple fo games pints but then drops a forehand too shirt and Joint makes no mistake with a punishing forehand winner. Joint then nets; Raducanu holds; the crowd roar. Could this be a turning point? Joint zips to 30-0 on her serve. Raducanu has not had a sniff at a break since the first set. Three game points for Joint. The first and second are saved by Raducanu but the Briton then nets a forehand and Joint consolidates that early break of serve. It's vital Raducanu gets this set off on the right foot. She's looking a little flat now. Joint's movement at the back of the court is giving Raducanu no easy points at all and the Briton will be happy to see a slice drop long to get back to 30-30 on serve. Then a double fault from Raducanu and Joint has a break point...WHICH SHE TAKES! An early break from the Australian and she has all the momentum in this match at present. Maya Joint is playing like a women possessed here. She showed signs of this in the first set, where errors where her undoing. Nothing of the sort in the second. A love hold caps a dominant performance and she's levelled the match up at a set all. Raducanu just needs to keep holding serve here and give herself the chance of making some in roads on the Joint serve. The Briton has the chance to give herself game points but makes a hash of the volley at the net. She makes up for it next time through a superb dry volley. Deuce on the Raducanu serve again. She does all the hard work and forces Joint to go short but then nets an easy forehand and Joint has a break point on the Raducanu serve. She takes it and now has a double break in the second set. Joint's service game progresses decidedly differently. Three quick points and she has three games points. She takes the second. Easy hold. Maya Joint is fiery. With glinting sunglasses and flaming red hair, and she is capable of causing Raducanu all sorts of problems. You can hear the effort Raducanu is putting into some of these shots, and almost every one is being returned - other than Joint's three slips and counting. Big service game for Raducnau this. After saying that she looked to getting on top from the back of the court her level has dropped markedly, whiel Joint has eradicated some of those costly errors that blighted her in the first set. A meek backhand finds the net from Raducanu and Joint gets to 30-15 but then nets herself, letting Raducnau off the hook somewhat. She has a game point but again another error gets Joint back in the game at deuce. Then...brilliance from Joint. She slips amid desperate defence before recovering, grinding her way back into the point and forcing Raducanu into an error at the net. Break point is then saved by Raducanu but Joint soon draws another as Raducanu can only flap helplessly at a excellent backhand cross-court from the Australian. Raducanu saves the break point again and back to deuce we go. Superb hitting from both at the back of the court but this time it's Raducanu who comes out on top as Joint desperate lunge sends the ball long. Game point saved and it's deuce again but another Joint slip gifts Raducanu a chance to end this game. Queue a stunning Joint winner...queue a stunning Raducanu winner. This game has had everything. Raducanu finally holds after a Joint drop shot goes wrong. Joint takes a tumbling fall after tracking down a Raducanu volley, leaving the court vacant for Raducanu to make no mistake from the net next time. At 30-15, Joint comes in behind a slice backhand but there's not enough on that and it's easy for Raducanu to pass down the line. Joint responds though, two points on the spin and she is now fully in control of this second set. Raducanu just starts to be finding a bit more from the baseline and that could spell trouble for Joint should the Briton's serve continue to fire like it has been. Blogger's curse strikes as Raducanu nets a mid-court forehand but I stand by my assessment...I think. Joint then finds a delightful backhand winner down the line to get to 15-30 but Raducanu goes big on the second serve, leaving the Australian with no chance with one that kicks high and wide. Raducanu fights to get to 40-30 but then goes long with a forehand and we go to deuce in this important game at the start of the second set. A good return from Joint and she now has a break point. Error from Raducanu and Joint breaks. Joint gets the second set underway. As we've mentioned, she has looked very good from the back of the court at times but her error count is unsustainable against a player of Raducanu's quality. At the start of this set though it's the Briton's turn to rack up the errors, three in a row in fact, to give Joint a couple of game points. She takes the second. Raducanu punishes a poor drop shot from Joint before going to the body with a neat first serve. Strangely, that's been the best part of her game so far. Joint has looked a touch more potent from the back of the court – if a little inconsistent. And there's another error from Joint, this time on the forehand side and Raducnau has two set points. She needs just one and Raducanu takes the first set! Well played@EmmaRaducanu🔥She takes the opener 6-4 over Joint!@WTA|#LexusEastbourneOpenpic.twitter.com/mPb18t6Vaa — LTA (@the_LTA)June 25, 2025 Emma Raducanu is being made to fight for every point here against the Australian teenager. The wind, which was swirling in much cooler conditions yesterday had calmed slightly with on-court feeling a lot warmer and livelier. What Raducanu will want to watch out for is not trying to end these extensive baseline rallies too soon. But in terms of power, she is being matched. Raducanu again lets out a big 'come on' after Joint finds the middle of the net with a backhand. Joint then plays a poor drop shot at 15-30 but Raducnau lets her off the hook with a weak backhand, enabling the Australian to save a tricky situation. Raducnau then goes long with a forehand after an excellent Joint backhand forces her deep behind the baseline but gets back to deuce after sharp work at the net. The Briton then draws a break point, leaping on a short second serve with a stinging backhand but that chance is soon wiped out by Joint. Double fault from Joint. Another break point for Raducanu...which she takes after Joint puts an easy forehand long! The Briton will serve for the first set. Raducanu must be ruthless now. She has the chance to put away an easy mid-court forehand at 15-15 but fails to do enough with it, giving Joint an easy pass. Raducanu then lets out a cry of delight after getting back to 30-30 but her cheer is short-lived. Joint feels off two of her best points of the match, including a superb dry volley winner, to break at get back on serve in this first set. Better from Raducanu here. She's jumps quickly on some poor serving from Joint and suddenly has two break points. Joint saves the first as Raducanu finds the middle of the net with a backhand but Raducnau makes no mistake next time. A heavy slice forces Joint deep into her forehand corner. She nets that forehand and Raducnau takes control of this first set. You feel like this is a vital game in the course of this first set and Raducanu starts it well, earning two quick points again behind some good serving. Joint has looked good in this match so far but her error count is creeping up already and Raducanu has three game points after the Australian goes long with a pretty easy backhand. Joint gets back to 40-30 after drawing a mis-hit from Raducanu but the Briton does then hold. Raducanu is baffled after a desperate Joint forehand drops in somehow. A quizzical look at the umpire follows but even I could see the chalk rise through a screen. A love hold for Joint. Excellent hitting from both players but it's Joint who comes out on top, forcing Raducanu into a defensive backhand lob before putting away the winner with ease. Three straight points for Raducanu follow though behind some excellent first serves. A good hold hold. Raducanu comes out punching on the Joint serve. After a double fault, the Briton forces Joint to go long with a forehand slice before another loose ground stroke from the Australian gifts Raducanu a couple of chances to break right back. Joint saves the first, leaping on a short return with a punishing forehand winner, before Raducanu goes long with a backhand, taking us back to deuce. Another break point for Raducanu after she's rewarded for good movement at the back of the court as joint goes long with a forehand. This time she makes no mistake – an excellent break back by the Briton. Raducanu's first service game begins with a good first serve which Joint puts long. It's the case for all tennis players, but Raducanu really is a different animal when she's in good rhythm with that first serve. A couple of unforced errors give Joint a chance at 15-30 but Raducanu puts enough of a forehand to put the Australian on the back foot and get the game back to parity. A net cord on a drop shot gives Joint a stroke of fortune and she now has a break point on Raducanu's serve...which she takes! Tremendous stuff from the Australian and she has an early break in this match. Tennis is usually a quiet sport, at least while the points are taking place and especially when the server is waiting to start, but Maya Joint was made to pause for a moment in the opening game by a particularly vocal seagull flying overhead to chuckles from the crowd. Raducanu started slowly yesterday against Ann Li, losing the first three games of match before dropping the first set on a tie-break. She will need to more on it from the off today against a player who took down Ons Jabeur on Monday. Joint has a chance to get to 40-15 but nets an easy volley, giving Raducanu a sniff of a break in this opening game. An excellent forehand winner gives Joint game point but Raducanu responds with a succession of big back-hands, which force an error from Joint and take the game to deuce. Joint then goes long, again falling foul of some powerful Raducanu backhands, giving a Raducanu an break point. Joint reels off two quick points but Raducanu fights back, getting the better of a long exchange from the back of the court. Joint does finally hold. She will receive first here in Eastbourne. Will be worth keeping an eye on Raducanu's back during this match. It was that which kept her out of action in Berlin last week. Raducanu's opponent today was born in Michigan but in early 2023 opted to start representing her father's country of Australia. Joint, 19, earned a place at the University of Texas to play college tennis but in December last year instead opted to go pro and has since steadily climbed the rankings to now sit at No 52 in the world. ...Krejčíková. That's gutting for Burrage, who had three chances at 5-6 on the Krejčíková to win that match. Fair play to the defending Wimbledon champion but the door was open for Burrage there. She just could not walk through. Next up...Emma Raducanu vs Maya Joint. ...we're locked at 3-3 in this tie-break. Burrage and Krejčíková simply cannot be separated here. This is going right down to the wire. Burrage had no less than three match points in that last game before Krejčíková reeled off five straight points for a remarkable hold. The Briton will need to bounce back from that disappointment in this tie-break. Burrage has held again against Krejčíková. She now leads 6-5 in the third set, with the Czech player now serving to stay in the match. If she does, we'll be going to a deciding tie-break. Raducanu's fitness coach Yutaka Nakamura has not been in her box since the start of the clay-court season, for personal reasons – a position that in Eastbourne is occupied by Mark Petchey and fellow proFrancesca Jones. "It's nice whenever the schedule works," Raducanu said when asked about the presence of Jones in her player's corner. "We like to be there for each other and today, obviously she's a close friend of mine, so she knew what was going on behind the scenes and to have her support there on a day like today means so much to me. all the emotions at the end 🫶Grit and determination from Raducanu to get through a 3 set battle with Li!#LexusEastbourneOpenpic.twitter.com/JC66PkV886 — wta (@WTA)June 24, 2025 Raducanu is second on centre court this afternoon after the conclusion of the Jodie Burrage's match with second seed and defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková. That match is currently on serve at 4-4 in the final set. Emma Raducanu returns to action in Eastbourne this afternoon, less than 24 hours after winning a first-round clash against American Ann Li. The British No 1 broke down in tears after securing the 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1 victory, citing having received "some pretty bad news". "I would like to keep it personal but it was difficult and very emotional at the end," Raducanu added. "It was probably just a release of different emotions." Today, she faces Australian teenager Maya Joint, who on Monday defeated two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur in what was her biggest grass-court win to date. Conditions are set to be a little kinder on the south coast this afternoon, after all players yesterday were forced to combat blustery conditions that made serving difficult. With temperatures set for the low 20s today and wind speeds not an issue, it will be a better day to get a reading on where Raducanu stands just six days before Wimbledon gets underway. Her grass-court season has been truncated thus far by a back problem that first presented itself at Queen's and forced her then to pull out of last week's Berlin Open. "I feel like I'm just doing the right things every day," Raducanu said when quizzed about how she's feeling ahead of a return to SW19 next week. " I know there's a lot of things I want to do better, but I think I have to be proud of myself and aim for consistency over perfection. "That's my new thing and trying to – I have high standards of myself but trying not to bring myself down if I don't reach them." Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.