Raducanu retires due to injury in her match against Kasatkina in Korea

British number two Emma Raducanu retired from her Korea Open quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina due to a left foot injury.

Raducanu had already been struggling with the issue in her previous match against Yue Yuan and looked uncomfortable from the start against the top-seeded Russian. She was broken in the second game but managed to break back, yet continued to have difficulty serving and chasing down returns.

After the fifth game, she called for a medical timeout but ultimately decided she could not continue after losing the first set 6-1.

Kasatkina will face compatriot Diana Shnaider in the semi-finals, following her victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, 7-6, 6-3. The match will take place later on Saturday after rain postponed play on Friday.

“I feel sorry for Emma,” said Kasatkina. “It’s a pity to get injured, especially in the later stages of the tournament. I wish her a speedy recovery.”

Raducanu had aimed to reach her first semi-final above WTA 250 level since her 2021 US Open victory. The world number 70 has faced multiple injuries since then, limiting her to just nine matches in 2023 due to surgeries on both hands and her left ankle.

She made her return at the beginning of the year, reaching the second round of the Australian Open but opted to skip the French Open to focus on her fitness. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, making her way back into the world’s top 100, but suffered a first-round loss to American Sofia Kenin at last month’s US Open.