Emma Raducanu advanced to the second round of the Korea Open 2024 with a determined performance. Securing a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) win over American Peyton Stearns on Tuesday.
Raducanu, who is seeking to make a significant impact in Seoul, faced a challenging match under steamy conditions, lasting 2 hours and 43 minutes. The 21-year-old British player, ranked 70th in the world, showed resilience as she overcame her 48th-ranked opponent.
In a tournament featuring notable absences, including World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, U.S. Open runner-up Jessica Pegula, and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, Raducanu’s victory was a highlight. She expressed her satisfaction with the win, saying, “I’m proud to have made it through to the next round. Thank you to everyone for sticking around and watching us. It was tough, it was very humid, the balls were bouncing around a lot.”
Raducanu’s next challenge will be against China’s Yue Yuan, the eighth seed. Reflecting on her performance, Raducanu noted, “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.”
In the match, Raducanu initially surged to a 4-1 lead in the first set but allowed Stearns to come back before clinching the set in a tiebreak. The second set presented more challenges as Raducanu struggled to finish off Stearns, failing to close the match when serving at 5-3. However, she managed to secure the win in another tiebreak, capitalizing on a late surge of momentum.
In other results, American Hailey Baptiste advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory over former U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens. Meanwhile, American Amanda Anisimova defeated sixth seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
A 45-minute delay due to excessive heat briefly interrupted play on the day.
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