2 hours ago Raducanu losing to Sierra was not a astonishment successful itself, adjacent though the Briton is ranked 29 places higher successful the world.
Since Indian Wells successful aboriginal March, Raducanu has lone played 1 lucifer - and that lone came past week successful a straight-set decision by France's Diane Parry successful Strasbourg.
The post-viral issues person continued to person lingering effects and she was struggling with a cough successful Paris.
A steadfast Sierra, connected different hand, has plentifulness of matches successful her legs and much bushed successful her racquet.
The quality was wide successful a woeful archetypal acceptable from Raducanu.
The 23-year-old's maneuver of aggressively hitting aboriginal successful the rallies, and a reluctance to patiently hold for chances to attack, underlined her keenness to swarm her opponent.
Her deficiency of tribunal time, positive the 30C vigor successful Paris, meant it made consciousness for Raducanu to effort to extremity the points quickly.
However, her timing was good retired and led to a precocious measurement of unforced errors.
"I felt similar the conditions were highly lively, and I felt similar I wasn't capable to benignant of spot my shots successful that and didn't consciousness similar I had power implicit the ball," Raducanu said.
"It was a truly hard set-up for maine to measurement into, having not had galore matches.
"I deliberation astir apt conscionable a spot airy connected matches, a spot airy connected assurance coming into the tournament."
Sierra was ever going to supply a tricky test, particularly astatine this aboriginal signifier of Raducanu's latest comeback.
Having started playing connected the reddish ungraded aged three, 21-year-old Sierra demonstrated her quality by precocious pushing reigning French Open champion Coco Gauff successful Rome.
English (US)·