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Seoul, South Korea – Emma Raducanu broke down in tears during her opening set at the Korea Open after choosing to compete in Seoul rather than represent Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup finals.
The British No. 1 opted to focus on the Asian swing of the WTA Tour, targeting valuable ranking points ahead of next year’s Australian Open. Her decision came as a blow to Team GB, who face Japan in Shenzhen this week.
Raducanu, 22, had been selected by captain Anne Keothavong, who was reportedly taken aback by the player’s late withdrawal from the squad. The 2021 US Open champion had helped Britain reach the semi-finals last year in Malaga but also skipped qualifiers earlier this season against Germany and the Netherlands.
Despite the controversy, Raducanu overcame torrential rain delays to defeat world No. 41 Jaqueline Cristian in her first-round match. Their clash, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was pushed back before Raducanu eventually prevailed in Seoul.