by Emma Raducanu lost 6: 3 6: 2 against Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima when she returned to the first round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Raducanu played for the first time since dealing with a stalker at the Dubai Open last month.
The former US Open Champion, 22, receives additional security in California after the man could approach her twice while she was alone.
Raducanu, who crouched in tears behind the referee chair after she had received repeated attention from a “fixed” man in the second round against Karolina Muchova in Dubai before and during her game against Uchijima.
After Raducanu initiated an early break in the opening game in the opening game to achieve a 2-0 lead, it seemed to fight under the stormy conditions.
Uchijima soon stumbled four games in a row after she broke back twice.
Raducanu, however, dug up to win the seventh game with another break, only so as not to then hold back and to step 3-5.
Uchijima stopped the pressure and secured a first setpoint when Raducanu sent a return.
Raducanu – A trial period started with the Slovak coach Vladimir Plateik – moved freely enough at the beginning of the second set, but soon looked like another fragment point, which Uchijima finally converted.
Although Raducanu came online, Uchijimas proved the difference because another big forehand opened the 2-0 lead in the world number 52.
In the next game, Raducanu saved a breaking point with a powerful self-return, but Uchijima then stopped 3-1.
After a stop forced that Raducanu forced a few options for the backbreakers, but a forehand of the 22-year-old on the net, saw Uchijima closing 4: 2.
Uchijima held on the front foot and took a 40-loving lead before a double mistake from Raducanu left the Japanese player for the match.
Raducanu looked dried out when another independent shot of Uchijima Match Point, which she converted after another long return.
“It was just a very difficult game for me,” said Raducanu later in a press conference.
“I think they were difficult conditions, a difficult ball from my opponent. I tried to be aggressive, I tried to do the ball, but I think it didn’t work today.
“I had a lot of support around me. I felt pretty good. I think today was just a curve ball, but I think I’ll just go on. “
Raducanu insisted that she fully concentrated on Uchijima.
“I didn’t have what happened in Dubai in my head today,” she said. “If at all, (it was) a little lack of preparation on the tennis court and played someone who played quite well under these conditions, extremely uncomfortable in the wind here.
“But I think it depends on the kind of intellectual breeding they are in. I think all players will say that if they feel good, it’s great. If this is not the case, it can be more difficult and challenging.
“You just have to overcome all the hurdles that come in your own way and just go on.”
Raducanu has only achieved a victory since the departure of the former coach Nick Cavaday, who resigned after the Australian Open in January for health reasons, but has worked with Platenik.
“It is good that I have someone who is very experienced here, and we will see how the work is going and how we go on and off the place and through the methods and everything,” she said.
“I look forward to seeing how it works. I think I just have to try to put one foot in front of the other and not look back too much. “
Raducanu added: “I think I will have to improve the point, I could improve, to be more aggressive and have a better gunshot quality that goes more into the square.
“I think I could improve every area of my game to be honest according to today’s performance.”
In the men’s tournament, Jacob Fearnley slipped against the Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, who came through 6-2 1-6 6-3.
The 18-year-old Rising star fought against the windy conditions and had undergone 3-1 in the decisive set, but then he took five games in a row to achieve his second ATP Masters 1000 game victory and a first on a hard court.
Fonseca, who received a wildcard entry, continues to play the British number one Jack Draper, the 13th seed.
