Emma Raducanu is confident she has closed the gap on the top-ranked players but admits she must improve to fulfil the prediction of her Wimbledon conqueror Aryna Sabalenka.

The British No 1 produced a spirited third-round display against the top seed under the Centre Court roof before losing 7-6 6-4 on Friday night.

Sabalenka praised Raducanu for her “incredible” level, tipping the Briton to return to the top 10, adding: “I had to fight for every point like crazy. I’m happy to see her healthy and back on track.”

In response, world No 40 Raducanu said: “It’s nice of her to say that, but I think it was pretty clear the difference. In the big moments, she was able to convert, she was able to hit some incredible shots.

“I just need to keep working and get back to the drawing board and improve a lot more.”

Raducanu went a break up in the opening set and after world No 1 Sabalenka hit back the Briton then rallied to save seven set points in a marathon 10th game.

In the 11th game, Raducanu broke to then serve for the set, only for Sabalenka to break back once more.

Come the tie-breaker, Raducanu had a set point herself before Sabalenka converted her first of the breaker to edge ahead.

In the second set, Raducanu then led 4-1 before Sabalenka ruthlessly reeled off five games in a row to advance to the fourth round.

“It gives me confidence that I’m not as far away as I perhaps thought before the tournament,” Raducanu said.

“I think before previously when I was playing those top-five players, it was pretty convincing, the loss. So I think today to really push Aryna it does give me confidence.

“The problem before was that I felt like I was gulfs away from the very top. Having a match like that where I had chances in both sets, it does give me confidence.

“At the same time, it’s very difficult to take right now. I’m just very self-critical. It’s hard to see. Of course, I’m very proud of being competitive on the court. I think I would rather that than it being completely one way.

“But yes, there are positives. Right now it’s so soon after the match. I think it’s better for me to kind of feel a bit of the pain right now and then process it better that way.”

Asked how she processes difficult defeats, Raducanu said: “Well, first thing I did, I had a Kit Kat in the changing rooms.

“It’s going to take me a few days to process that, but at the same time it really motivates me. It could be a good thing that I’m like, okay, I want to get straight back to work pretty much.”

Raducanu: I’ll discuss future with Petchey soon

Raducanu is projected to slip five places to 45th – losing points having reached the Wimbledon fourth round last year – and will become the British No 3 following Sonay Kartal’s own run to the round of 16.

With the American swing next, Raducanu also said she will discuss her future with coach Mark Petchey.

“He obviously also has his commentating commitments. He agreed to kind of help me until the end of Wimbledon and then we kind of see from there because he gave up some work to work with me here, which I really appreciate and I’m grateful for,” she said.

“That’s a conversation that we need to have after a few days and the dust settles a little bit.”

Raducanu also followed Jack Draper in questioning a line call, her fellow Briton having said the Hawk-Eye technology was not “100 per cent accurate” on Thursday night.

“Yeah, I mean that call was for sure out,” she said. “It’s kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part they’ve been okay. I’ve had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong.

“So yeah, I don’t know. Hopefully they can kind of fix that.”

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