Emma Raducanu hits out at ‘INSANE’ umpiring calls during her straight sets victory over Ena Shibahara… as British star plays first match on grass in two years ahead of Wimbledon

Emma Raducanu was ventilating in the media room at the Nottingham Tennis Center when the automatic kettle in the corner began to boil noisily, a timely addition to the steam emitted by the 21-year-old Briton despite this skillful victory.

Raducanu won 6-1, 6-4 against Ena Shibahara in her first match on grass in two years and her first on any surface in two months, ultimately triumphing again on home soil in front of 2,500 spectators. But she spoke about her frustration afterwards.

Not with the late wobble she encountered, after initially leading 6-1 and 5-1 after less than an hour, but with the decisions made in this match contested without Hawk-Eye.

If anything, it showed the fire in Raducanu’s belly for this career reboot. We witnessed that fervor on the pitch in Nottingham, highlighted by the early exchanges she exchanged with the referee, Ana Carvalho, whenever she believed a deemed ball was out and vice versa. It started from the very first shot of the match, a Shibahara serve that she claimed was long.

Raducanu refused to go as far as Harriet Dart – her compatriot who tried to bet £50,000 on referee Kelly Rask that she was right about a controversial line call on this court during her ill-tempered defeat to Katie Boulter – but she couldn’t help but her own excavation.

However, Raducanu was left fuming with several referee calls after her straight-set win

“I mean, it felt like I was playing two against one on the court, it was crazy,” said Raducanu, currently ranked No. 209 in the world. “I probably would have used at least four (challenges). They often go both ways. Today I felt like they were all one way against me, but it just makes me feel better that I managed to beat her and the referee at the same time.”

Such a ruling in football could lead to a charge and a fine from the FA, but Raducanu was relieved that she managed to overcome the lack of Hawk-Eye during the 70-minute match.

“It’s hard when there’s no challenge, but it’s something everyone has to deal with,” she added. ‘Maybe it was just an attempt to make the game more competitive. It was 6-1, 5-1 and suddenly, the first point, serving at 5-3, it’s a very bad line call. It’s something I had to deal with and overcome. I am very happy with the attitude I showed from the start and also with how I dealt with setbacks.

“It’s happening more and more – more and more tournaments are getting Hawk-Eye. There is a beauty in having all the linesmen and it adds to the drama for the spectators. For us, this can be the most frustrating thing ever. It’s not just me. Yesterday Harriet said the same thing. Quite a few players say it at this tournament.’

Raducanu claimed it felt like she was playing against two players during her match in Nottingham

But it was the 21-year-old’s first match on grass in two years and her first on any surface in two months as she finally won again on home soil in front of 2,500 spectators.

This was rated as a favorable opener against Shibahara, ranked 24th in the world in doubles, but 274th in singles. For much of this match, Raducanu made the Japanese qualifier look like she could use a partner as she continually chased down lost causes on both sides.

It all seemed so routine when Raducanu led 6-1, 5-1, only for the Brit to cough up two service breaks against Shibahara. Practice all you want, there is no substitute for playing real matches, and the Nottingham crowd was happy to see Raducanu eventually win 6-1, 6-4 to set up a tougher second round draw against the Ukrainian Daria Snigur.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray lost in straight sets to American Marcos Giron in Stuttgart yesterday. That 6-3, 6-4 defeat came in the 999th singles match of the 37-year-old’s career, denying him the chance to face fellow American Jack Draper. His 1,000th match will follow next week at Queen’s as he prepares for what could be his final farewell to Wimbledon next month.