It is hardly a drought to compare with our footballers across the pond, but Emma Raducanu’s five years of hurt continues. Hurt being the operative word as, on the precipice of a first title since the US Open in 2021 – and on home soil at that – she was hampered by a thigh injury in going down 6-0, 7-6 to Donna Vekic in the final of the HSBC Championships.The well-heeled and Panama-hatted denizens of west London arrived expecting a coronation at the Queen’s Club, a title for Raducanu which would have had huge significance in at least partially dislodging the gorilla that has been on her back since that night in New York.‘It’s been an incredible week for me, making the final in my home city,’ Raducanu said as she was handed her runner-up plate on court. ‘The support all week has been incredible. ‘Today was a really tough match so thanks for getting me through some tough moments this week and helping me push back in that second set.’The 23-year-old at least made a match of it after the first-set wipeout, taking a 5-2 lead and then saving four match points, but Vekic got over the line. At the age of 29, she has the biggest title of her career.For the British No1, it appears much of the damage was done on a hectic Saturday when she beat Kamilla Rakhimova in the quarter-finals, then returned three hours later to take out world No19 Iva Jovic in the semis. That was a superb effort but came at a cost and that debt was collected in the final.Against Rakhimova, Raducanu slipped and tweaked her thigh, which was then strapped up against Jovic. She did not seem hampered in producing one of her best displays in recent years but these things are often worse after a night’s sleep. There was initial optimism when she practised without the strapping on Sunday morning, but it was back on for the final. Emma Raducanu suffered a painful defeat in the Queen’s final against Donna Vekic The British No1 took Vekic to a tie-break in the second set but fell to defeatThe first couple of games went Vekic’s way in a flash but that can happen – she is an aggressive grass court specialist. Once a few rallies started to break out, it was clear how debilitated Raducanu was. She has defended so well this week but was not getting close to anything directed into the corners. Another feature of her play here has been how well she has got down low, especially on the backhand sidek, where she has struck winners with both knees almost on the grass. Against Vekic she could not get anywhere near that – clearly unable to put much pressure on that thigh.After the first set, the physio came out and removed that strapping from the thigh. Perhaps it was more comfortable without, as there was certainly an uptick from the home hero.Raducanu’s first game on the board at the start of the second set was greeted with wild abandon by the Queen’s crowd. Then she had a lucky net cord and suddenly 0-30 on the Vekic serve. Was Vekic going to fall into the old trap of dropping her level against an injured opponent? Raducanu managed to get a little lower to punch a backhand down the line, then struck a forehand winner to earn break points. After a couple of deuces she broke through.From looking resigned in the first set, Raducanu was pumping herself up, roaring to the crowd after almost every point she won. As she held for 4-2 the Raducanu smile, so much in evidence this week, made its first appearance of the final. At 5-2 the trainer was back out but she served out, with a nail-biter of a game. After stabbing a backhand chip into the open court to win the rally of the match so far she gave a tired grin and windmilled her arms to conduct the crowd’s cheers. But Vekic kept coming and Raducanu missed a drop shot wide to concede the break. Vekic had three match points at 5-6 but Raducanu did superbly to force a tiebreak. Raducanu saved another match point but Vekic took the breaker 8-6 and dropped to her knees in triumph and, one imagines, relief. But for a couple of her strokes, which shaved the outside of the line, we might have been in for a third set. A match that looked like being a blowout ended by the finest of margins.A word for our champion: Vekic was a far more formidable opponent than her ranking of 76th and status as a lucky loser would suggest. With her flat, skiddy power she is a grass court specialist, so you can effectively add at least another 50 spots onto that ranking on the lawns. And she lost in qualifying mainly due to a bout of illness. Once she was dosed up on antibiotics and Marta Kostyuk’s injury gave her a lucky loser spot in the main draw, she was always likely to prove dangerous.For Raducanu, however dispiriting the final result, this has been an excellent and much-needed week for Raducanu. She has played some wonderful grass-court tennis and – even though it cost her in the end – showed resilience in coming through days disrupted by rain to win twice in a day. The way she fought her way into the final after that blowout first set was impressive, too.This has been an early rubber-stamping of the wisdom of her decision to bring back coach Andrew Richardson, who coached her to the US Open title.Even in defeat, she should be there or thereabout for a seeding at Wimbledon, and she continues on course for SW19 with the wind in her sails.