Emma Raducanu vs Jaqueline Cristian Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Raducanu to prevail in Seoul opener

It's been a solid season for Raducanu - she's been consistent and propelled herself to the brink of a return to the top 30. The Brit will be hoping for a big finish to the season as she looks to continue her gradual progress back up the rankings. Meanwhile, Cristian is also enjoying a great year and comes into this contest at a career-high ranking of No. 41. Both players are confident and in good form, making this an intriguing opening round contest in the Korean capital.

However, I've got to lean with Raducanu. The former US Open champion is operating at a slightly higher level and it's taken top 10 players to eliminate her from four of her last five tournaments. Furthermore, Raducanu is on a 12-match winning streak in first round matches - she's consistently clearing the opening hurdle at tournaments. When Raducanu wins, she usually does it convincingly - 12 of her last 13 victories have come in straight sets, while her last 16 hardcourt triumphs have also been in straights.

This will be the first career meeting between the pair.

Raducanu comes into this contest with a 26-18 record on the season and operating at No. 33 in the world.

The 22-year-old has put together her most consistent and best season since her shock US Open title triumph in 2021, which saw her climb into the world's top 10.

Raducanu has made quarter-finals or better at Miami, Queen's Club and Washington and posted third or fourth round finishes in Grand Slam and WTA 1000 tournaments at the Australian Open, Rome, Wimbledon, Montreal, Cincinnati and US Open.

The Brit is coming off a third round run at the recent US Open, where she went down to Elena Rybakina. Raducanu has a 5-2 record at the Korea Open, making the semi-finals in 2022 and the quarters in 2024.

Cristian has put together the best season of her career to date, registering a 28-20 record at all levels and rising to No. 41 in the world.

The Romanian finished runner-up on the clay of Rabat and has reached the third round stage at six Grand Slam and WTA 1000 tournaments for the season.

It was an impressive US Open for Cristian - she beat a pair of Americans in Danielle Collins and Ashlyn Krueger before going down in three sets to eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova.

However, taking that next step isn't coming easy - Cristian has only secured four top 50 wins for the year, so this upcoming match in Seoul represents its challenges.