Emma Raducanu into Korea Open second round with gutsy win
Emma Raducanu, aged 21, commenced her campaign at the Korea Open with a hard-fought victory, defeating American Peyton Stearns, 22, with a score of 7-6(4), 7-6(5) on Tuesday.
The British player is eager to make a significant impact in Seoul, particularly following a series of last-minute withdrawals from notable competitors, including world number one Iga Swiatek, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula, and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and currently ranked 70th globally, faced a challenging match against her 48th-ranked opponent in humid conditions, which lasted for two hours and 43 minutes.
"I am proud to have advanced to the next round," remarked Raducanu, who entered the tournament unseeded.
"I appreciate everyone for staying and supporting us. It was a tough match; the humidity was intense, and the balls were bouncing unpredictably."
Her next challenge will be against China's Yue Yuan, the eighth seed.
"It was a difficult match to navigate," Raducanu continued.
"I have not participated in many matches over the past few months, and Peyton is an excellent player in great form, so I am quite satisfied with the outcome."
Despite struggling to build on her remarkable US Open triumph, Raducanu initially surged to a 4-1 lead in the first set but allowed her opponent to recover before narrowly winning the tiebreak.
In the second set, Raducanu found it challenging to shake off Stearns and was unable to close out the match while serving at 5-3.
She had to exert additional effort to bring the second set to a tiebreak, ultimately capitalizing on a late surge of momentum to secure the match in straight sets.
American Hailey Baptiste also advanced to the second round after defeating compatriot and former US Open champion Sloane Stephens with a score of 7-6(4), 6-2.
Kazakhstan's sixth seed Yulia Putintseva was eliminated following a 6-3, 7-6(5) defeat to American Amanda Anisimova.
Play was delayed for 45 minutes at the start of the day due to excessive heat.
SportsLigue