Emma Raducanu on course for revenge mission as Brit gets brutal Wuhan Open draw

Emma Raducanu has learned her fate in the Wuhan Open draw, and she’s landed in the same section as Jessica Pegula. Raducanu blew three match points against the world No. 7 at the China Open in Beijing earlier this week, and she could well have a shot at revenge in the third round of next week’s WTA 1000 in Wuhan.

First, Raducanu will have to overcome another familiar opponent in Ann Li, the American world No. 47, whom she beat earlier this year in Eastbourne.

The British No. 1 is set to make her tournament debut in Wuhan next week. Unlike the WTA 1000 in Beijing, the Wuhan event has a much smaller draw, meaning that Raducanu is not seeded.

The former US Open champion has been drawn to face Li in the first round. If she advances to round two, Raducanu will face a tough test against either No. 9 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova or Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko.

And the third round could well be a rematch with Pegula, who is seeded sixth in Wuhan. Raducanu looked sublime for a set and a half when she faced the American at the China Open earlier this week.

But she blew three match points in the second set tiebreak and then collapsed as Pegula raced through the decider, winning 3-6 7-6(9) 6-0.

It’s the second time in a row that Raducanu has squandered match points in defeat. She also blew three match points against Barbora Krejcikova at last month’s Korea Open.

The world No. 32 will hope to learn from her recent mistakes as she begins her Wuhan Open campaign next week. Raducanu has already been practising on site and will likely face Li on Monday or Tuesday.

If she can go further in the draw, No. 4 seed Amanda Anisimova is a potential quarter-final opponent. Raducanu and Anisimova are good friends off the court, and the American has been on a tear in recent months.

Anisimova reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open over the summer, and she’s now through to the China Open final, sealing a statement 6-1 6-2 victory over Coco Gauff on Saturday.

The Wuhan Open will be a prime opportunity for Raducanu to add some extra points to her ranking and boost her chances of being seeded at next year’s Australian Open.

The top 32 players get seeded at Grand Slam tournaments. Raducanu currently sits at No. 32 in the world and is already set to rise up the ranks next week after winning one match in Beijing. If she can get a few wins under her belt in Wuhan, she could go even further.