With rain retractions that paralyzed the schedule on the WTA 500 Korea Open 2025 by Motiva, Emma Raducanu finally came to court on Wednesday and, rather slow, surpassed Jacqueline Cristian, 6-3 6-4.
It was a really difficult decision. I love the BJK Cup, and last year I gave it everything despite the difficult circumstances [Team GB’s draw]. The Korea Open, however, was a crucial time for me to get synchronous with my new coach, Francis [Roig]. Although it was the end of the season, I thought it was more important to work with an experienced coach for the Asian Swing. Emma Raducanu
The no. 8 seed passed a strict test by Cristian in the moist conditions to move forward after 2 hours and 2 minutes in the 2nd round, where she will meet the 2-time Grand SLAM champion, Barbora Krejcikova from the Czech Republic.
The British No. 1, who took a last-minute wildcard in the tournament, came down from 1-3 to win both sets in her opening match that was originally planned for Tuesday, but postponed to Wednesday due to persistent rain.
“It has not been easy-I feel that I have played this game in the last three days,” Raducanu said in her interview on the entire country. “So, to continue after waiting, I am super satisfied with how I got through.
“Jaqueline is a really tough opponent and recently had great results. Hard conditions, very slow, long rallies, long points, so happy that they have come through.”
The US Open Champion 2021 was against it in the early stages of the game, while Cristian stormed out of the blocks to get 7 winners to zero for Raducanu through the first switch.
During the competition, the Romanian was more spectacular off the ground and 25 winners generally fell to Raducanus 15, but more importantly, it was the Brit who delivered and locked best when she had to.
The 8th seed saved the first 7 breaking points against her before Cristian was able to convert to the age of 8, but the Romanian could not get a real momentum, thanks to the 38 casual mistakes she made in the course of the game.
All except one match of the first set went at least one deuce when Raducanu gradually brought in Cristian, against the tears halfway against no clear reason, before she got a break from Serve to go up 5-3, thanks to two double errors and two errors of her opponent.
At the beginning of the second broke Cristian early again, helped by a few Raducanu-dubbelus, but from 0-2, the 22-year-old Brit found her best tennis of the day when she established her Forehand, who had been irregular for a large part of the first set, to demand a series of excellent winners.
On 4-4, Cristian threw a false game with which Raducanu was able to close the victory after saving a breaking point in the last match with another forehand winner.
Emma Raducanu chose to play in Seoul above Billie Jean King Cup service to gain more experience with her new coach and her ranking
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Afterwards, Raducanu was asked why she had chosen to participate in the Korea Open instead of joining her teammates to represent her Great Britain during the Billie Jean Jean King Cup final in Shenzen, China.
“It was a really difficult decision,” said Raducanu. “I love the BJK Cup, and last year I gave it everything despite the difficult circumstances [Team GB’s draw]. The Korea Open, however, was a crucial time for me to get synchronous with my new coach, Francis [Roig].
“Although it was the end of the season, I thought it was more important to work with an experienced coach prior to the Asian Swing. I wanted to prioritize working with him and further developing myself. Having the opportunity to develop with such an experienced coach was the main reason I decided to participate in the Asia series, starting with this Korea Open.”
The victory against Cristian went a way to justify the decision of Raducanu, because she also wants to improve her ranking and has already risen to no. 32 in the live lists, so if she can hold that position, this would be enough to secure her a sowing berth in the Australian Open in January, the first Grand Slam of 2026.
Raducanu admitted that he felt good after her opening round, after he had to withdraw from the last two editions of the Korea Open and hopes to leave Seoul with good results.
In anticipation of her in the next round, Krejcikova, the former Wimbledon and French Open Champion, with the prospect of the winner of the top seeds Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
Clara Tauson was one of Wednesday’s winners in Seoul, the no. 3 seed that Eva Lys defeated in straight sets to continue to the quarterfinals
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In the meantime, the Korea Open Titelding Champion, Beatriz Haddad Maia, the No. 6 Seed from Brazil and Diana Shnaider, was sown 5 and from Russia, near Raducanu in the 2nd round on Wednesday.
Shnaider had splitting with the American qualifying match Caty McNally when the game was stopped the previous day, but she took control of the decision-maker to move forward, 2-6 6-2 6-4, even though they needed 5 match points to close the deal.
Haddad Maia also had to fight to close her match against the Korean wildcard, who in the second set won a late indictment of 0-5 to get to 5-3 before the Brazilian left-handed, 6-4 6-3, on her 3rd match point.
Two 2nd round races were also completed on Wednesday, with the Maya Joint of Australia the Nr. 7 Seed, Sofia Kenin, a former Australian Open Champion, for the second time this season to reach her second WTA 500 quarter-final of the year, the 19-year-old who only needed 63 minutes to Racen, 6-1 in Racing, 6-minutes in Racing, 6-minutes in Racing, 6-minutes in Racing, 6-1.
Clara Tauson van Denmark, the No. 3 seed, defeated Eva Lys, 6-2 7-6 (4), in one hour and 37 minutes, to make her 7th quarterfinals of 2025, to keep a late indictment against the German after the game on 5-4 in the second set.
Sorana Cirstea made light work by Zhu Lin from China to set up a meeting with top seeds Iga Swiatek on Thursday
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In other first round results, the Sorana Cirstea of Romania made light work by Zhu Lin from China, 6-3 6-1, to set up a meeting with Swiatek on Thursday, while Suzan Lamse’s from the Netherlands was paid to the hope of Tatjana Maria, who defeated the German, 6-4 6-1, to take Shnaider in round 2.
Two 2nd round races were also completed on Wednesday, with the Maya Joint of Australia the Nr. 7 Seed, Sofia Kenin, a former Australian Open Champion, for the second time this season to reach her second WTA 500 quarter-final of the year, the 19-year-old who only needed 63 minutes to Racen, 6-1 in Racing, 6-minutes in Racing, 6-minutes in Racing, 6-minutes in Racing, 6-1.
Clara Tauson van Denmark, the No. 3 seed, defeated Eva Lys, 6-2 7-6 (4), in one hour and 37 minutes, to make her 7th quarterfinals of 2025, to keep a late indictment against the German after the game on 5-4 in the second set.
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