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Emma Raducanu earned a gritty win in a challenging first-round match against American Peyton Stearns at the Korea Open in Seoul. The British player, currently ranked 70th in the world, emerged victorious with a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5) result after two hours and 43 minutes on the court.
Raducanu, who was playing her first match since exiting in the first round of the US Open, expressed her relief and pride after the tough encounter. “I’m proud to have made it through to the next round. It was tough and very humid,” said Raducanu. “I haven’t played many matches in the last few months. Peyton is a really good player in good form, so I’m really pleased.”
The match featured numerous momentum shifts, with Raducanu starting strong by breaking Stearns in the opening game. However, the set saw eight breaks of serve before Raducanu clinched it in a tie-break after 74 minutes.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with both players battling through break points. Raducanu appeared poised to close out the match with a 5-3 lead but was broken while serving for the win. Stearns also failed to hold her serve at 6-5, sending the set to another tie-break, where Raducanu sealed the hard-fought victory.
Raducanu now faces a tougher challenge in the next round against China’s Yue Yuan, the world number 40.
