Seoul, Sep 21 : British tennis star Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from the Korea Open quarterfinal against top-seeded Daria Kasatkina of Russia due to a persistent foot injury.

The 21-year-old, who had shown signs of discomfort in her previous match against Yue Yuan, struggled from the outset against the World No. 13.

Raducanu required a medical timeout after the fifth game of the first set but despite her efforts to continue she ultimately made the decision to retire after losing the opening set 6-1. The injury proved too much to overcome, cutting short her campaign in Seoul.

In her last match, Raducanu secured a straight sets victory over China's Yue Yuan. Ranked 70th in the world, the Briton gained momentum by winning six consecutive games to claim the first set and take control of the second. She eventually converted her seventh match point to win 6-4, 6-3, advancing to the quarterfinals in Seoul.

Kasatkina, who advanced to the semifinals, will face either her compatriot Diana Shnaider or Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, with the match scheduled for later on Saturday after rain delays had disrupted play on Friday.

For Raducanu, this marks another setback in her quest to regain top form following a series of injuries and inconsistent performances since her historic US Open triumph in 2021.

/IANS