Preview: Korea Open: Jaqueline Cristian vs. Emma Raducanu - prediction, form

Delayed by a day due to the elements, Emma Raducanu and Jaqueline Cristian should contest their Korea Open first-round match on Wednesday morning.

The pair - who are battling to meet 2024 Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova in round two - were due to face off on Tuesday, only for persistent rainfall to push back their encounter.

Match preview

As compatriots Katie Boulter, Jodie Burrage, Sonay Kartal and Francesca Jones go for glory in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, Raducanu has snubbed Great Britain for a shot at individual glory, opting to compete at the WTA 500 Korea Open rather than represent her country.

Few decisions Raducanu makes on or indeed off the court are not heavily scrutinised, and the 2021 US Open champion's call to prioritise her own interests inevitably sparked fierce debate, especially after her exemplary showings in last year's BJK Cup finals where she won all three of her singles matches.

However, Raducanu has already expressed her love for the Asia swing - claiming that she feels "at home" when vying for honours in the Far East - and the British number one also has a coveted seeded spot for the 2026 Australian Open on her mind.

Currently ranked 33rd on the planet, Raducanu - who is seeded eighth for the Korea Open after accepting a wild card - returns to WTA 500 action after an indifferent US Open run, where comprehensive wins over qualifying pair Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen preceded a thrashing at the hands of Elena Rybakina.

That 1-6 2-6 loss to the former Wimbledon winner highlighted the current disparity between Raducanu and the best of the best, a chasm she now seeks to clear under the tutelage of Francisco Roig, who will oversee the 22-year-old's Korea adventure for the first time.

Raducanu was forced to retire from her 2024 Korea Open quarter-final vs. Daria Kasatkina due to a foot injury, and her physical struggles also bedevilled her in the 2022 edition, where her and Jelena Ostapenko were in a deciding third set in their semi-final before the Briton called it quits. 

While Raducanu has had to be patient for her first taste of Korea Open action this year, 27-year-old opponent Cristian already has one win under her belt, progressing to the women's doubles second round alongside veteran partner Hsieh Su-wei.

Competent in both the individual and collaborative forms of the game, the Romanian number one has broken new ground throughout the 2025 season, achieving career-best results at the Australian, French and US Opens as she progressed to the third round every time.

Cristian took down two home favourites in New York in the shape of Danielle Collins and Ashlyn Krueger, but she could not make it a hat-trick of American victories at the Grand Slam, going down in three sets to eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova in the last 32.

Also progressing to May's Morocco Open final - where she was slain by Australia's Maya Joint - Cristian is now settled in the top 50 of the WTA rankings as she prepares to make her main-draw Korea Open debut.

The Romanian's only previous competition appearance came in 2019 - where she was beaten in her final qualifier - but if she can best both Raducanu and Krejcikova on Wednesday, a tantalising quarter-final with Iga Swiatek could await.

Head To Head

Raducanu and Cristian will be squaring up to one another for the first time on the WTA Tour this week, and the contest will pit right-hander against right-hander.

Boasting a 26-18 record for the year in singles, Raducanu enters the match with a 59.1% win rate, only marginally better than Cristian's 58.3% comprising 28 victories from 48 matches.

We say: Raducanu to win in three sets

Standing four inches taller than the British number one, the towering Cristian can be expected to fire a few aces past Raducanu, but the latter will attack any second serves she can with her customary venom.

The former US Open champion has also been more lethal on break points in 2025 - converting 50.3% of her opportunities compared to Cristian's 44% - and we have faith in Raducanu to get the job done in three, as she partially justifies her BJK Cup rejection.

Written by
Ben Knapton

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