Emma Raducanu showed real grit to battle past America’s Peyton Stearns to pick up her first win at the Korea Open.
In a match that saw 110 unforced errors, there was little to really separate Emma Raducanu and Peyton Stearns.
The 21-year-old Brit was looking for her first win since July, which conveniently came against Stearns in Washington.
Raducanu started the match fast, breaking Stearns in the opening game however eight breaks of serve later, the first set could only be decided by a tiebreak that Raducanu eventually won 7-4.
With Raducanu leading the second set 5-3, she struggled to take the initiative, with Stearns reeling off three straight games before failing to serve it out.
A second tie-break was needed, with the Brit holding her nerve to secure her second consecutive victory over the American in two hours and 43 minutes.
Emma Raducanu points to her heritage as something that could give her an edge at the Korea Open
After spending just shy of three hours on court, Raducanu explained what the conditions were like in Korea, labelling the whole match as ‘tough’.
Speaking at her post match press conference, Raducanu reflected on what her time in Korea meant to her, with injury having ruled her out of the events last year.
“This is my first time playing in the Asian swing, and it is also the time I look forward to the most during the season,” Raducanu said.
“It may be because of my birth but I am especially looking forward to playing in China for the first time,” the Brit, whose mother is Chinese, explained.
“Because of the environment I grew up in, the atmosphere here is comfortable, and I think it will be an advantage for me. I want to play as many games as I can.”
Emma Raducanu needs as many matches as possible if she wants to improve
With the Brit having undergone three surgeries on her ankle and both wrists, she has gradually been building both her ranking and level.
After skipping the Olympics to focus on the hard court season, Raducanu pulled out of Cincinnati and Toronto after not receiving a wild card into the main draw.
Andy Roddick criticised Raducanu for ‘creating her own speed bumps’ with the 21-year-old still yet to ever play a qualifying event since her ten-win streak to the 2021 US Open title.
Clearly needing to focus on performance and level rather than results, her hard-fought win against Stearns certainly wasn’t an exhibition of the kind of match she wants to play.
However, with eighth seed Yue Yuan in the next round, Raducanu may have to rely on some fighting spirit again if she cannot raise her game.
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