Emma Raducanu advanced to the quarterfinals of the Korea Open with a 6-3, 7-5 victory against Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium on Thursday. The British No. 1 and the sixth seed in the competition need 1 hour and 40 minutes in Seoul to continue her comeback following her recent first-round elimination at the US Open, the tournament that launched her to stardom a year ago.
Last week’s Slovenia Open was only one round longer, but in Seoul, she exhibited the tenacity necessary to resist a comeback by Wickmayer as her 4-1 advantage in the second set eroded.
Wickmayer plummeted to No. 460 in the rankings after giving birth to her first child in 2021, yet she was a tough opponent who gained stronger throughout the match.
Raducanu, who will face Poland’s Magda Linette in the quarterfinals, failed to capitalize on a breakpoint in the third game, but she won the fifth game without conceding a single point to grab a key foothold in the opening set.
The next time she served, her earlier composure vanished, and she double-faulted at a vital juncture to give up the lead.
But Wickmayer faltered on her serve once more, and Raducanu seized control of the ninth game, winning the set with a combination of powerful strokes and opponent errors.
It required grit, an ace, and a tremendous forehand for Raducanu to maintain her lead in the 11-minute first game of the second set, after which she sprinted to a 3-0 lead.
As 3-0 turned 4-3, a collapse ensued, and despite a magnificent backhand passing shot executed on the run, Raducanu was under intense pressure.
Every point had become a battlefield, but when match point arrived and Wickmayer sent his shot long, Raducanu advanced to the quarterfinals.
