“I think the rest of the year, as long as I’m healthy, I’m going to try and finish the season and play as many matches as I can,” Emma Raducanu said as she labored to a tricky 7-6(4), 7-6(5) win over America’s Peyton Stearn at the Korea Open. It has been a tough comeback year for her after missing a majority of the 2023 season. Nonetheless, she is back on her feet. As Raducanu enters the quarterfinal here, the path only gets tougher for her from here on. The British sensation will face the top seed, Daria Kasatkina, in the last eight of the WTA Seoul. Aiming to win her first title this year, a lot will be at stake for Raducanu.

Emma Raducanu vs Daria Kasatkina: Preview

Unlike her performances before the injury setbacks, Raducanu has had an inconsistent season so far. She has played in a select few tournaments and missed some big tournaments like the French Open and the Cincinnati Open. Additionally, her best performance this year has just been a semifinal appearance at the Nottingham Open.

However, Raducanu is playing in one of her favorite parts of the world. Earlier, she revealed that she enjoys playing in the Asian swing of the WTA Tour and this is where she won her 3 ITF Tour titles. As a result, Raducanu stands a good chance of causing an upset against her higher-ranked opponent, having defeated the likes of Peyton Stearns and Yue Yuan earlier in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Kasatkina has been constantly around the top 10 mark for years, which proves her consistent performances over the years. Additionally, she also lifted the trophy at the WTA 250 Rothesay International on grass courts. Kasatkina is the top seed in Korea and had an easy round of 16 victory over Hailey Baptiste. She would look to continue her winning run when she takes on Raducanu next.

Raducanu vs Kasatkina: Head-to-head

There have been two encounters between Emma Raducanu and Daria Kasatkina, with the latter prevailing on both occasions. While their first match against each other was at the Ostrava Open back in 2022, they also faced off earlier this year at the Rothesay International. With Kasatkina winning in straight sets on both occasions, expect a similar result when they face for a third time.

Prediction: Kasatkina to halt Raducanu’s high-flying run

Emma Raducanu’s increased playing schedule towards the end of the year is a welcome sight. She’s enjoyed success in Asia before, including a semifinal finish at this tournament in 2022. However, she now faces a familiar foe in Daria Kasatkina. Being the top seed and in good form, Kasatkina is the favorite to lift the Korea Open title.

Additionally, she has a massive psychological advantage coming into this match. While Kasatkina lies on the 13th spot in the WTA rankings, Raducanu is placed outside the top 50 at the 70th position. Additionally, while the Russian star has won 30 matches and lost 18 this year, Raducanu has just 18 wins while losing in 12 encounters.

Kasatkina’s groundstrokes have often given Raducanu trouble, and the Brit will need a standout performance to overcome this hurdle. Thus, it won’t be a surprise to see Kasatkina prevailing over Raducanu in straight sets again.