Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her Korea Open quarterfinal against top seed Daria Kasatkina due to a foot injury, dashing her hopes of claiming a second career title. The 2021 US Open champion sought medical advice five games into the match but ultimately withdrew after losing the first set 6-1. Raducanu had previously received treatment on the same foot during her last-16 win over Yuan Yue, continuing a troubling pattern of injuries that has hindered her progress since her remarkable US Open triumph.
The 21-year-old Brit, ranked 70th in the world, has faced numerous setbacks since her Grand Slam success, struggling to build consistent momentum in subsequent tournaments. She entered the Korea Open aiming to make a significant impact, especially as several top players, including world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula, and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, withdrew from the event. However, Kasatkina, ranked 13th in the world, broke Raducanu’s serve four times, continuing her dominance in their previous encounters.
Kasatkina expressed her sympathy for Raducanu’s situation, noting the unfortunate timing of the injury as the tournament entered its deeper stages. Kasatkina, who will now face either fellow Russian Diana Shnaider or Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the semifinals, wished Raducanu a speedy recovery and hoped she would be ready for future competitions. The Korea Open’s quarterfinals had been delayed a day due to rain, but all matches resumed on Saturday with Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia and Veronika Kudermetova advancing to the semifinals.
Haddad Maia, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, secured her spot in the semifinals with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 win over Russia's Polina Kudermetova. Meanwhile, Veronika Kudermetova overcame Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria 7-5, 6-3 to set up a showdown with Haddad Maia in the semifinals later that day. Despite the scheduling disruptions, the tournament pushed forward with anticipation for the final rounds.
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