Emma Raducanu cruises to straight-sets win over Magda Linette in Korea to reach first WTA semi-final

23.09.2022, 14:04 skysports.com

Emma Raducanu produced a commanding display as she beat Magda Linette in straight sets to advance to the semi-finals of the Korea Open. The former US Open champion converted four of five break points and recorded a first-serve win percentage of 93 on her way to a 6-2 6-2 rout to reach the last four of a WTA Tour event for the first time. With the win, Raducanu is set to move back up the WTA rankings having also won three matches in a row for the first time since her victorious 2021 US Open campaign. Raducanu will now face either Estonian top seed Jelena Ostapenko or Andorra's Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva for a place in the final. The 19-year-old, who fell at the first hurdle in defence of her US Open title last month, had slipped to 77th in the world rankings from a career-high 10th. But the British number two, who beat Japan's Moyuka Uchijima and Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer earlier this week, has rediscovered some of her best form. Raducanu made a flying start, twice breaking Linette and comfortably holding her own serve on her way to a 5-1 lead before sealing the first set 6-2 after 35 minutes. Emma Raducanu knocked out of Slovenian Open by Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam Western & Southern Open, Cincinnati: Latest Scores ATP Hall of Fame Open with Andy Murray in action: Latest Scores Australian Open: Latest Scores US Open men's final: Latest score US Open: Emma Raducanu has become a household name in Britain after her magical summer Linette, who lost to Czech Republic teenager Linda Fruhvirtova in the Chennai Open final last week, immediately hit back in the second, winning her opening service game to love. The 30-year-old Pole then led 40-0 on Raducanu's serve, but the Brit dug deep to save three break points and then dealt her opponent a mighty blow by winning against her serve for the third time in the next game to edge 2-1 ahead. Raducanu held serve and broke Linette for the fourth time in the match to forge into a 4-1 lead and that quickly became 5-1 when holding to love. Linette extended the match by edging a deuce game on serve in the next, but Raducanu maintained her dominance by winning another service game to love to wrap up the match in an hour and 16 minutes.