Emma Raducanu has been denied a place in her first WTA Tour final since last year’s fairytale US Open triumph.
The British No1 had returned to form at the Korean Open in Seoul after her Flushing Meadows title defence was halted in the first round and she was also defeated early at the Slovenia Open, brushing aside Moyuka Uchijima and Yanina Wickmayer before an agressive, all-out-approach saw her demolish Magda Linette 6-2 6-2 in Friday’s quarter-final.
Raducanu had not reached the semis of any tournament since that unforgettable run in New York in 2021, but injury has once again scuppered the teenager’s best-laid plans.
Having fought back from dropping the first set against 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko 4-6 to take the second 6-3, she was trailing 0-3 in the decider at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Center when forced to retire with a glue problem.
Latvian world No19 Ostapenko, who won this tournament five years ago, advances to Sunday’s final where she will meet Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova following the latter’s straight-sets win over Tatjana Maria.
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