Emma Raducanu Triumphs Despite Delays at Korea Open

Seoul, South Korea — Emma Raducanu defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the Korea Open on Wednesday, overcoming significant weather delays. The match was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was pushed back due to rain, and additional delays continued into Wednesday.

After two hours and two minutes on the court, Raducanu secured her victory, marking her first match since exiting in the third round of the US Open. The win comes at a critical juncture in her season as she withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup finals to focus on boosting her ranking in this tournament.

The British No. 1 displayed impressive resilience, saving 11 of 12 break points throughout the match. Despite being down 3-1 in the first set, Raducanu bounced back with five consecutive games to take control. Raducanu, who registered six double faults, battled through tough conditions, noting that Jaqueline Cristian, ranked lower than her at 41, was a formidable opponent.

“Super happy to have won today,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview. “Jaqueline is a really tough opponent and had great results recently. Tough conditions, very slow, long rallies, long points, so happy to have gotten through.”

Next, Raducanu is set to face Barbora Krejcikova, the 2024 Wimbledon champion, in the second round.

In other news from the tournament, Cameron Norrie suffered a disappointing loss at the Chengdu Open, falling to 304th-ranked Chinese wildcard Zhou Yi in three sets. The match ended 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-6 (2), marking a challenging day for Great Britain’s tennis hopes.