Emma Raducanu admitted that a lack of matches and intense practice sessions contributed to a very uncomfortable win at the Korea Open.
The 21-year-old opened her campaign in Seoul with a tricky 7-6(4), 7-6(5) win over America’s Peyton Stearns.
The contest was delayed for 45 minutes due to excessive heat and the humidity certainly played its part in what was a physically gruelling contest for both players.
In the end it was Raducanu who beat Stearns after two hours and 43 minutes and that is just what she needed as she looks to build momentum and win her first title since the 2021 US Open.
Emma Raducanu discusses tough opening Korea Open win
There were a total of 28 break points and 12 breaks of serve during Emma Raducanu’s latest victory. The Brit served for both sets but on each occasion Stearns fought back, broke serve and forced a tiebreak.
But Raducanu dug deep to win the second-longest straight-sets match of the 2024 season and post match she admitted that having played a lack of matches over the last several months made it even tougher.
“I think the rest of the year, as long as I’m healthy I’m going to try and finish the season and play as many matches as I can. It’s something I’m really light on since the grass through the D.C. period. I’ve not played many points, even in practice,” Raducanu said via the WTA website.
“So as grueling as it was, I think I had three hours of match experience, which can only aid me going into the next few weeks. For me now, I just want to play matches and, in the meantime, do a little bit of work on my game where I can.”
Who will Emma Raducanu play next?
Raducanu’s Korea Open campaign continues and her next opponent is China’s Yue Yuan.
The 25-year-old is the eighth seed at this tournament and she came from a set down to defeat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in round one.
Their round of 16 clash on Thursday will be the very first time that the players will have competed against one another.
Raducanu’s best result in Korea is the semi-finals and she will be aiming to improve on that result in 2024.
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