Emma Raducanu needed 7 match points to defeat Yuan Yue in a challenging 6-4, 6-3 battle that lasted 2 hours and 4 minutes at the Hana Bank Korea Open. This victory secured her spot in the quarter-finals, marking her 5th quarter-final appearance of the season.
My goals are finishing this season strong but, inevitably, to set myself up in the best way possible for next year, because, next year, I really want to hit the ground running. Emma Raducanu
The British No 2 showcased dominance throughout the match, eventually overcoming the 8th seed, Yuan Yue, in a tense finish. Despite Yuan saving 5 match points in the penultimate game, Raducanu maintained composure and sealed the win by breaking on return during the 7th match point.
Raducanu executed a clear strategy against Yuan, opting to attack the net whenever possible and avoiding prolonged baseline exchanges. This approach proved effective as she claimed the tight first set and carried the momentum into the second set.
Yuan struggled with her first serves, landing only 55% of them, and winning just 36% of her second-serve points. In contrast, Raducanu showcased strong serving, including 11 aces in total, further solidifying her performance.
Despite facing pressure at 5-2 in the second set, Raducanu remained resilient and eventually secured the win after a hard-fought game. Reflecting on the match, Raducanu acknowledged some nerves creeping in during the second set but managed to refocus and close out the victory.
Emma Raducanu and her coach, Nick Cavaday, have been tweaking her serve which is developing into a powerful weapon
© Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Raducanu mentioned that she and her team have been working on refining her serve to optimize her performance.
“We’ve been working hard the last week, looking at the swing, and which swing suits me best. It’s been pretty big changes, it’s not like we’re just changing the ball placement.
“Me and my coach decided we were going to take a risk, and we were going to tweak things. We know it might not pay off short-term. But one thing I do back myself on is, I pick things up pretty quickly.
“In the first match it didn’t transfer yet, but today it definitely did. I just have to think bigger-picture.
“My goals are finishing this season strong but, inevitably, to set myself up in the best way possible for next year, because, next year, I really want to hit the ground running.”
Top seed Daria Kasatkina began her Korea Open campaign with a straight sets win over Hailey Baptiste
WTAtennis.com
In the next round, Raducanu will face top-seed Daria Kasatkina, who secured a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Hailey Baptiste. Kasatkina exhibited exceptional defensive play throughout the match, ultimately managing to maintain control and seal the win convincingly.
… (additional content removed for brevity) …
