Emma Raducanu was unable to take three match points as she faded to defeat against Barbora Krejcikova at the Korea Open. The British No 1 looked poised to set up a quarter-final against Iga Swiatek when she led by a set and 5-2 only for the former Wimbledon champion Krejcikova to stage a fightback and claim a 4-6, 7-6 (10), 6-1 victory.
Having decided to withdraw from Great Britain’s team at the Billie Jean King Cup finals in order to take a wildcard into the WTA event in Seoul, Raducanu had hoped to produce a strong week, but the manner of this loss will hurt. She cut a despondent figure as the third set ran away from her and will go back to the practice court with her new coach, Francisco Roig, before heading to China.
For more than two hours, it appeared Raducanu would come out on top, with the 22-year-old showing fighting spirit to recover from a break down in the opening set, clinching it when Krejcikova sent down one of 10 double faults.
When Raducanu quickly recovered from dropping serve in the opening game of the second set, winning four games in a row, it seemed she was on her way to victory. But Krejcikova, who had made a series of poor errors, steadied and hit back, saving the first match point when Raducanu served for the match at 5-3.
Krejcikova’s revival should not have surprised her opponent given the Czech saved eight match points against Taylor Townsend on her way to victory in the fourth round of the US Open, and Raducanu was unable to capitalise on a 5-2 lead in the tie-break and then two more match points.
A double fault at 10-10 in the tie-break gave Krejcikova the advantage she needed, and Raducanu’s resistance quickly ran out in the third set after she had missed two chances to break for 2-1.
In her absence, meanwhile, the Great Britain team set up a semi-final against the United States in the Billie Jean King Cup with a 2-0 victory over Japan as Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter both won their singles matches.
Kartal, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time this year, gave Britain the lead with a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Ena Shibahara. Japan’s hopes of salvaging the tie fell on the shoulders of Moyuka Uchijima but she was no match for Boulter, who wrapped up a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 victory in 68 minutes.
“Sonay put in a clinical performance so she makes it easy to follow,” Boulter said. “I stayed out there as much as possible and tried to focus on myself. I am super happy to be through and it is nice to have some British fans here. I am so pleased. This team qualified earlier in the year and we showed a lot of heart. The team deserves to be here and hopefully, we can go to the final. Hopefully, this is our time now.”
The United States, meanwhile, stayed on course for a record-extending 19th crown after Taylor Townsend and Jessica Pegula won the doubles decider to edge out Kazakhstan 2-1.
The tie hung in the balance after American Emma Navarro had dramatically saved two match points to outlast Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (6), only for an aggressive Elena Rybakina to level matters by dismantling world No 7 Pegula 6-4, 6-1.
Kazakhstan, aiming for their first final appearance, then rolled the dice by selecting Rybakina and Putintseva for the decisive doubles clash. But the Americans, spearheaded by doubles world No 1 Townsend, had other plans when captain Lindsay Davenport teamed her up with Pegula, winning a second set tie-break to seal a 6-2, 7-6 (1) victory.
