In Seoul, Emma Raducanu bounced back from her early US Open defeat by securing a tense 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) victory over Peyton Stearns in the Korea Open. The British starlet dominated the match, fending off a resilient challenge from Stearns, who is currently ranked 48th in the world. Raducanu’s triumph sets up a thrilling last 16 clash with Yue Yuan of China.

Raducanu expressed her satisfaction with the win, acknowledging the tough conditions and her opponent’s impressive form. She shared, “I am proud to have made it through to the next round. It was tough, it was very humid, the balls were bouncing around a lot, it was a tough match to get through. I haven’t played many matches in the last few months and Peyton is a really good player in really good form, so I’m very pleased.”

The 2021 US Open champion got off to a strong start, surging to a 4-1 lead in the first set by breaking Stearns’ serve multiple times. However, Stearns mounted a remarkable comeback, winning four consecutive games and threatening to take the set. Raducanu’s resilience shone through as she regained control and eventually closed out the set in a tie-break.

In the second set, both players held serve comfortably until Raducanu secured a crucial break to serve for the match at 5-3. Despite being broken for the sixth time in the match and falling behind 6-5, Raducanu responded with a flawless service game, forcing another tie-break to seal the victory.

The Korea Open marked Raducanu’s return to competitive action following her disappointing exit from the US Open. Her performance in Seoul indicates that she is eager to bounce back and continue her impressive journey in the world of tennis. Next up, Raducanu will face a tough challenge in the form of Yue Yuan, as she strives to progress further in the tournament and build on her recent success.