Emma Raducanu defeated Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets to reach the second round of the Korea Open. 

The Brit was in cruise control for the majority of the match, but was made to work for the win as the Japanese star rallied from match point down to win four games on the bounce. 

In the end, Raducanu emerged a 6-2 6-4 victor –– setting up a clash with Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer tomorrow. 

Raducanu survives late scare 

Having suffered another painful early exit at the Slovenia Open last week, Raducanu arrived in Korea terribly out of form. 

However, as has been the case for the majority of this year, it’s almost impossible to predict which Raducanu is going to show up. 

This time around, the teenager was on song  –– producing some excellent tennis and outclassing her Japanese opponent. 

WATCH: Emma Raducanu reaches round two of the Korea Open

Having wrapped up the first set in under half an hour, Raducanu looked on course to bagel  Uchijima in the second set and had match point at 5-0 up. 

Yet, the 19-year-old failed to close out the match on that occasion and lost the next four games. 

Raducanu eventually regained her composure and closed out the set and the match 6-4. 

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What did Raducanu say? 

Speaking after the match, Raducanu emphasised her ambition to go all the way in South Korea but to ensure she also plays with freedom on the court. 

"My goal on the court is to keep trying to swing freer and freer in each match," she said. 

"And my other goal is to try and stay in [South] Korea for as long as possible."

Raducanu, who admitted South Korea and Spurs star Son Heung-min was an inspiration of hers, stressed that she has fallen in love with the country.

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 30: Emma Raducanu of Great Britain reacts against Alize Cornet of France in their Women's Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

"Honestly, I love it so much here in [South] Korea. I feel so at home here. Everything is so much better. It’s so clean, the food is unbelievable. I just want to spend as much time as I can in [South] Korea as I can." 

She added: "I think it was overall a pretty solid match until the end of the second set.

"It’s tough when you haven’t been playing that many matches, you’re not as used to those situations.

“I’m really happy with the way I regrouped and held the serve on that last game because it was really important to win that game.

“I think I was just thinking of my first serve. Because I knew that if I got a good first serve it would help me a lot. I was trying to hit an ace and I did, I hit two. My serves helped me out a lot.”