Emma Raducanu pulls out of Korea Open semi-final with injury

Emma Raducanu retired in the third set of her Korea Open semifinal against top seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia on Saturday.

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Raducanu had won the first set 6-4 before a medical timeout. In the second set, she later lost 6-3. Ostapenko led 3-0 in the third with a double break in the deciding match at the Olympic Park Tennis Center in Seoul when Raducanu was forced out with an upper leg problem.

The 19-year-old fell at the first hurdle in her US Open title defense last month. As a result, she has dropped to 77th in the world rankings from a career-high 10th. If she had won in Korea, she would have expected a return to the top 50. Ostapenko will now face Ekaterina Alexandrova in Sunday's final.

The British No. 1 had returned to form at the Korea Open in Seoul after her Flushing Meadows title defense was cut short in the first round. She was also beaten early at the Slovenia Open, knocking out Moyuka Uchijima and Yanina Wickmayer before an aggressive and total fight. The approach saw her demolish Magda Linette 6-2 6-2 in Friday's quarterfinal.

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Emma Raducanu hadn't reached the semi-finals of any tournament since that unforgettable run in New York in 2021. But injury once again spoiled the teenager's best-laid plans.

Latvian world number 19 Jeļena Ostapenko, who won this tournament five years ago, will advance to Sunday's final. She will meet Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova after the latter's straight-set victory over Tatjana Maria.