Emma Raducanu crashes out of Stuttgart Open following straight-sets defeat by world No 1 Iga Swiatek

Emma Raducanu succeeded in giving dominant world number one Iga Swiatek anxious moments before going down in their quarter-final in Stuttgart on Friday night.

In only her fifth senior match on clay, the US Open champion took her to 6-4 6-4 in an encounter that was closer than predicted, despite the Kent teenager needing treatment during the second set.

Raducanu’s serve was particularly impressive in a match which saw her face a top ten player for the first time in her career.

Emma Raducanu has been knocked out of the Stuttgart Open after defeat by Iga Swiatek

The world No 1 Pole beat the US Open champion 6-4 6-4 in the quarter-finals

Raducanu was broken in the first service game and then went on to lose the first set

With three wins in eight days from starting out on the clay Raducanu has probably exceeded realistic expectations so far on the surface that is by far the least familiar to her.

Swiatek came in on the 20-match winning streak which has seen her surge to the top of the game after the retirement of Ash Barty.

Raducanu competed well against the hugely powerful groundstrokes of the Pole for the first set, and did so again at the start of the second when, after three breaks of serve, she called for the physio at 2-1.

She left the court for a medical timeout to treat what looked to be a problem with her lower back. It did not appear to be hinder her thereafter and she had a break point at 3-4 to level, with her opponent clearly rattled.

There were more break chances at 4-5 before Swiatek, to her evident relief, managed to serve it out.

She battled in the second set and had another medical timeout but could not prevent her exit

It brings the 19-year-old British No 1’s first WTA tour-level event on clay to a close