Emma Raducanu falls after missing 3 match points as Barbora Krejcikova books Swiatek clash

Barbora Krejcikova secured a notable victory against Emma Raducanu in the second round of the WTA 500 Korea Open, guaranteeing a new showdown against Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. The two-time major champion prevailed after nearly three hours on the court, saving three match points before completing a remarkable comeback with a score of 4-6, 7-6(12-10), 6-1.

The Czech is becoming a true master of comebacks. Just a couple of weeks ago, she showed her resilience by saving seven match points against Taylor Townsend in the fourth round of the US Open in a 28-point tiebreak. This time, against Raducanu, she played a 22-point tiebreak in the second set, pulling off a remarkable recovery that gave her the emotional boost to dominate the third set.

Krejcikova is once again showing that when she is physically fit, she deserves her position among the best. She has guaranteed a five-spot jump in the WTA rankings and is currently positioned as the world No. 34. She will once again face Iga Swiatek, with whom she has a 2-3 head-to-head record, with the unique fact that Krejcikova won both times they met in a final.

Raducanu, on the other hand, leaves the tournament without defending all the points she earned in 2024, although she still reaches world No. 32 in the WTA Rankings. The Brit opted to skip the Billie Jean King Cup Finals to chase points in the Asian swing and is preparing for her next challenge at the Beijing Open, where she will be the 32nd seed.

Raducanu edges Krejcikova in tight first set

The first set started with both players holding their first service games at love, followed by an exchange of breaks: Krejcikova went up and Raducanu responded by tying it up—both on their first break chance. The Brit won only 27% of points on her second serve, and Krejcikova seemed closer to getting the break after creating a few opportunities.

However, Raducanu came through in high-pressure moments to hold her serve, and at the end of the set, she got a break that gave her the set 6-4 after 54 minutes, in a set that could have gone either way.

Raducanu blows golden chances as Krejcikova steals dramatic tie-break

With the advantage for the 2021 US Open champion, the second set began with a break for Krejcikova, who was looking to get back into the match. However, Raducanu found her best moments of the match, winning 16 of the next 17 points, getting a double break, and going up 4-1. Everything seemed ready for Raducanu, who showed no signs of weakness on her serve and went up 5-2 without problems.

Krejcikova showed her composure in the important moments and served excellently under pressure. Raducanu had the chance to close out the win on her serve at 5-3 but squandered one match point, and Krejcikova got back into the game by recovering the break on her first opportunity of the set. The Czech tied it up and sent the match to a tiebreak, where Raducanu squandered two more match points, and Krejcikova completed an epic comeback to take the set 7-6(12-10).

Krejcikova storms through decider

Squandering her chances cost Raducanu dearly, who was overwhelmed by Krejcikova in the final part of the match. Both started by holding their service games, and Raducanu got a couple of break chances in the third game but couldn't convert them. From that point on, Krejcikova dominated the action, saved her serve, and won five consecutive games—with two breaks in between—to close out a comfortable 6-1 third set.

Krejcikova won a remarkable 93% of her first-serve points, compared to just 44% for Raducanu. In fact, the Czech won 66% of the points played in the third set. It was a two-hour and 55-minute battle that ended with another revitalizing victory for Krejcikova, who will face Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

Match Statistics Krejcikova vs. Raducanu