Britain’s Emma Raducanu has advanced to the last 16 of the Korea Open in Seoul after a hard-fought battle against American Peyton Stearns, securing a 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) victory. The intense opening set culminated in a tiebreak, with Raducanu eventually claiming the set after missing several opportunities to secure it earlier.
Raducanu, 21, managed to break Stearns three times, gaining a 4-1 lead before experiencing a reversal, allowing Stearns to edge ahead at 5-4. Despite this setback, Raducanu displayed remarkable determination, securing the set 7-4 in the tiebreak. In the second set, she surged ahead to force a break, bringing her to the cusp of victory at 5-3, only to face resistance from Stearns.
Raducanu speaking courtside on Sky Sports Tennis…
“I’m proud to have made it through to the next round.
“It was tough. It was very humid, the ball was bouncing around a lot, and it was a tough match to get through.
“I haven’t played many matches in the last few months, and Peyton is a really good player in really good form, so I’m pretty pleased.
“I love to play in Seoul and I actually think it gave me some fuel to fight in that match to play again in front of you guys.”
Despite Stearns preventing Raducanu from reaching match points, Raducanu managed to regain control, ultimately securing the win. She will next compete against China’s Yuan Yue in the quest for a spot in the quarter-finals, with Yue recently triumphing over Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in a thrilling comeback victory of 4-6 6-2 6-2. Now, Raducanu stands poised for another challenging encounter as she continues her impressive journey in the tournament.
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