Emma Raducanu retires against Bianca Andreescu in Italian Open

Emma Raducanu had won four of her previous six clay-court matches this season

British number one Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her Italian Open first-round match when she was again hampered by a back injury.

The 19-year-old trailed 6-2 2-1 in Rome when she decided to stop.

It is the latest in a series of niggles that have dogged the US Open champion in her first full year on the WTA Tour.

Raducanu, ranked 12th in the world, will be hoping the injury improves before the French Open starts.

The clay-court Grand Slam begins on 22 May and Raducanu will be playing in the main draw for the first time.

Raducanu struggled with a back injury during her defeat at the Madrid Open last week and said before facing Andreescu in Rome she was "managing" the problem.

The British teenager needed an injury timeout at 5-2 in the first set, going off court for lengthy treatment.

After initially appearing to serve better in the second set, she told the umpire she could not continue after losing serve for the third time in the match.

It was a disappointing end to a highly anticipated first contest between two of the most talented youngsters in the game.

The parallels between the pair - both unexpected teenage US Open champions and born in the same part of Canada with Romanian heritage - made for an intriguing prospect.

Andreescu, 21, has suffered serious physical issues herself since winning the Flushing Meadows title in 2019, admitting recently she had considering quitting the sport.

But she showed signs of her best form - demonstrated by powerful returning, precise winners and a solid second serve - to dominate Raducanu before the match came to an early conclusion.

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