British tennis star Emma Raducanu broke down in tears during her 6-3 6-4 victory over Jaqueline Cristian at the Korea Open on Wednesday. The emotional outburst came after the world No.33 netted a forehand and faced two break points at 3-3 in the first set, though she recovered to secure the first-round win.
The match had been repeatedly delayed by rain, originally scheduled for Tuesday before being postponed to Wednesday with further weather interruptions. Raducanu faced Romanian opponent Cristian, ranked world No.41, in challenging conditions that the British player described as "very slow" with "long rallies and long points."
Remarkable resilience under pressure
The contest proved a gruelling test of endurance, with The Independent and The Guardian reporting the match lasted 2 hours 2 minutes, with the first set alone taking 70 minutes for just nine games. Despite her emotional moment, Raducanu demonstrated remarkable mental strength by saving 11 of 12 break points throughout the encounter.
Speaking after her hard-fought victory, Raducanu said: "It hasn't been easy. I feel like I've played this match the last three days. To have pulled through after waiting, I'm super pleased at how I came through."
She praised her opponent's quality, adding: "Jaqueline is a really tough opponent and has had great results recently. [They were] tough conditions, very slow, long rallies and long points, so happy to have got through."
Controversial team decision pays off
Raducanu had withdrawn from Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup Finals team to compete in Seoul, a decision that attracted criticism. Anne Keothavong described Raducanu's absence as "disappointing," according to The Independent and The Guardian.
The 2021 US Open champion's emotional victory in South Korea suggests her controversial choice to prioritise individual competition over team duties may prove beneficial for her ranking goals. Her current world No.33 position represents steady progress as she continues her comeback from injury setbacks.
Sources used: "Metro", "The Independent", "The Guardian" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
