Emma Raducanu discovers Korea Open draw and given favourable route to final

Emma Raducanu will face an opponent she has already beaten when she rocks up to the first round of the Korea Open. And the Brit’s projected route to the latter stages of the WTA 500 tournament provides further cause for optimism. Raducanu is in need of a pick-me-up after suffering the disappointment of a first-round exit at the US Open – the Grand Slam she famously won as a qualifier in 2021.

Her next challenge will come against Peyton Stearns in Seoul, less than two months after Raducanu defeated the American in straight sets at the Citi Open. A hard-court rematch could give Raducanu the perfect springboard to enjoy a deep run in South Korea. Predicted to be next up for the 21-year-old, if she makes it past Stearns, is world No 38 Yuan Yue. The pair have never met in a competitive match, and while Yue lies ahead of Raducanu in the WTA rankings, she does not boast the same big-tournament experience. A win for the Brit would take her through to the quarter-finals, where proceedings would naturally get tougher.

Daria Kasatkina is Raducanu’s projected opponent, and the Russian has won both of their competitive meetings to date, most recently at the Rothesay International in June. Diana Schnaider and Martha Kostyuk are among Raducanu’s predicted opponents if she makes it to the semis, with Liudmila Samsonova and Beatriz Haddad Maia both fancied to make the final. Raducanu has fond memories of Seoul. The Korea Open was the site of her first semi-final appearance on the WTA Tour, winning three matches on the spin before coming unstuck against Jelena Ostapenko in 2021.

“I think it’s pretty cool to have made my first semi-final and build my way on the tour the right way. And going through the stages,” Raducanu reacted at the time. “I think it is quite a nice reward for the hard work that I have done on the practice court and a lot of hours. It is a really nice feeling.” The former US Open winner may have lost her way slightly since, but a potential confidence-booster against Stearns in Seoul could prove to be the catalyst for Raducanu to replicate her impressive run to the semi-finals three years ago.