Emma Raducanu was playing in her first tournament since her first-round loss at the U.S. Open in August. [Getty Images]
British number two Emma Raducanu withdrew from her Korea Open quarter-final match against Daria Kasatkina with an injury to her left foot.
Raducanu struggled with the issue in his previous match against Yue Yuan and continued to look shaky in the early battles with the Russian top seed.
The 21-year-old was broken in the second game but despite breaking back quickly, he struggled with his serve and was unable to chase returns around the court.
She required a medical timeout after the fifth game and was deemed unable to continue after losing the first set 6-1.
Kasatkina defeated Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 7-6, 6-3 and will face compatriot Diana Schnyder in the semi-finals.
The match will be played on Saturday afternoon after Friday’s game was postponed due to rain.
“My heart goes out to Emma,” Kasatkina said after the match. “It’s unfortunate to get injured, especially so late in the tournament. I hope she recovers quickly.”
Raducanu was hoping to reach her first semifinal at the WTA 250-level or higher tournament since winning the 2021 U.S. Open.
The world No. 70 has battled a number of injuries since her victory at Flushing Meadows.
She was limited to just nine games in 2023 after undergoing surgery on both hands and her left ankle.
Raducane made his comeback earlier this year, reaching the second round at the Australian Open, but then withdrew from the French Open to focus on his fitness.
She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and returned to the world top 100, but lost in the first round at last month’s U.S. Open to American Sofia Kenin.