Madison Keys can become the first Queen of Queen's in over 50 years
Au revoir to the French Open and two breathtaking finals as a truly memorable clay court tennis season finished on the highest of highs. All attention now turns to Queen's, Nottingham, Eastbourne and Birmingham as play switches to grass in preparation for Wimbledon, which starts at the end of the month.
Three princesses of British tennisare in action in the HSBC Championship at Barons Court in West London on Tuesday with Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Heather Watson all in action as the WTA returns to Queen's for the first time in 52 years.
It has almost been as long since the last British woman triumphed at the All England Championships with Virginia Wade delighting the Centre Court crowd with her victory over Betty Stove way back in 1977 when the nation was singing along to God Save The Queen in one form or another.
It's a long shot for that long stretch to be ended this year with Raducanu's best efforts in SW17 being her fourth-round appearances last year and in 2021, just months before capturing the hearts of the nation with her sensational US Open victory.
British No.1 Boulter battled her way to the third round in 2022 and 2023 and Watson, still gamely plugging away at 33, enjoyed her best showing at the third grand slam when she advanced to the last 16 three years ago.
They will be the centre of attention when they make their Queen's debuts and will receive fervent and passionate backing from the home crowd with Raducanu 10/1 fourth favourite for the title with Betway while Boulter is 28/1 with William Hill and Sky Bet.
Raducanu begins her campaign against 27-year-old Spaniard Cristina Bucsa and is 5/6 with bet365 to win in straight sets while Boulter is 13/10 with Betway to beat Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic in the same manner, even though the Croatian-born right-hander reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in both 2021 and 2022.
Watson, however, is likely to bow out after being drawn against Russia's Yulia Putintseva, who reached the fourth-round at Wimbledon last year and is 5/4 with bet365 to win in straight sets. More Trending
Two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys will lift the trophy on Sunday at 4/1 with William Hill, Betfair, Paddy Power and Sky Bet although 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina is a huge danger.
Thomas Frank's appointment as the new Tottenham Hotspur manager appears to be a done deal and the Bees are already seeking his replacement.
Justin Cochrane, Frank's lieutenant, is the 4/7 favourite with Bet Victor to land the job but he may follow his boss across London and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna is 5/1 with the same firm to land the Brentford role following the Tractor Boys' relegation.
• Jos Buttler has been in fine form with the bat and is 5/1 with Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Betfair to be England's top scorer when they chase a T20 clean sweep in the three-game series against the West Indies at Southampton.
MORE: Tottenham urged to sign Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target to replace Son Heung-min
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Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
BBC snub Emma Raducanu at Queen's as presenter explains the situation
BBC snub Emma Raducanu at Queen's as presenter explains the situation Emma Raducanu teamed up with Katie Boulter in the doubles at Queen's Club on Tuesday but the match was not shown on the BBC as the British duo were snubbed Emma Raducanu teamed up with Katie Boulter in the women's doubles competition (Image: GETTY ) Emma Raducanu's debut in the doubles event at Queen's Club alongside Katie Boulter was overlooked by the BBC, who chose not to televise the match. Making a historic return to the London grass venue for women's tennis after five decades, Raducanu and Boulter faced off against Fang-Hsein Wu and Xinyu Jiang in their opening round, yet fans could not follow the action on free-to-air TV. While singles play dominated coverage on the main show court, now named the Andy Murray Arena, the British pair's efforts on Court One went untelevised, leaving supporters unable to witness their maiden team-up. Presenting the coverage, Isa Guha remarked: "Unfortunately, we won't be able to show you this match because we're focused on Andy Murray Arena, but we will be bringing you updates throughout the course of the afternoon." Prior to the match, Boulter shared her enthusiasm about playing with Raducanu, revealing in an interview with TNT Sports that they had long anticipated the partnership. She commented: "I think myself and Emma, we've been wanting to play for a while now. I think we've talked about it a lot of times," reports the Express. Article continues below Adding: "Unfortunately, it just hasn't quite happened for various reasons. I think [for the] first week on grass, to get a couple more matches is super important. "I think we were actually here at Queen's, practising on the clay, and we decided we thought we'd come back and play on the grass together. It'll be extremely special. Obviously, she's a great player and I'm looking forward to having the first of many more." Raducanu also shared her thoughts: "Playing a doubles match with Katie will hopefully give me a good feel for that surface and it will be positive. I really like playing with Katie. We've practiced a few times together in the past at Billie Jean King Cup ties." The former US Open winner has been contending with a back issue lately but is eager to put that behind her as she gears up for Wimbledon. She detailed her recent challenges: "I got back [from Paris] last week and then I got straight back on the court. I had a small interruption with a bit of a back spasm again, which was a bit annoying and that hindered my grass prep. "The last few days I have managed to get on the grass. I can't really predict the future. I know I have been managing my back for the last few weeks now and it's something that comes and goes. Article continues below "It can be frustrating. I try not to let it get to me because I have a pretty good feel when it happens of how to manage it. All I can do is deal with what's in front of me." The Brit pair won in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Emma Raducanu in 5-word confession after debuting 'spontaneous' new partnership
Emma Raducanu made her Queen's Club bow in a doubles match with a new partner - British No.1 Katie Boulter - as women's tennis returned to the venue for the first time in 52 years Emma Raducanu confessed she was 'very nervous' before making her Queen's Club debut with doubles partner Katie Boulter after the British pair secured a 6-4 6-2 victory over Wu Fang-Hsien and Jiang Xinyu. Raducanu had before this played doubles just once, partnering Clara Tauson in round one of the 2022 Washington Open, and alongside Boulter was fully backed by the home crowd on the packed and more intimate Court One. The WTA 500 event marks the first time in 52 years Queen's has hosted women's tennis, and while the pairing of British number one Boulter and number two Raducanu were not quite ready to submit their entries to Wimbledon, there were hugs and fist-pumps aplenty as they got their grass court seasons underway. 'I was actually very nervous before the match,' said 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, who has been drawn against a to be determined qualifier for her opening singles match. 'I don't know if you could tell, but, yeah, probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn't necessarily know what to do. 'I'm really happy once we got out there, Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I'm just so pleased to get a win.' This Queen's partnership, Raducanu revealed, came 'spontaneously', after a few close calls where she and Boulter nearly joined forces at Madrid, Paris and Miami. Asked it could extend as far as Wimbledon, Raducanu replied: 'We haven't spoken about it. It worked pretty well, so we're just going to keep on trying to do as best we can this week.' Boulter joked: 'Scrap what she said – we're going for the Wimbledon title! No, I'm just kidding.' The British pair claimed an early break in the first set and extended their lead to 4-2 before Wu and Jiang drew level at 4-4. Boulter and Raducanu broke back and eventually claimed the opening set, converting their second set point. Momentum in their favour, the Britons made quicker work of the pair from China and Chinese Taipei in the second set, sealed emphatically by Raducanu's volley. Fans on social media were quick to complain that the match was not available to watch in full on the BBC, who did occasionally cut to the British pair but focused on the action on the newly-christened Andy Murray Arena, where the three-time grand slam winner was honoured in a morning ceremony. The PA news agency understands contractual considerations between a number of stakeholders – including the WTA and LTA – contributed to the contest being held on the smaller court. Raducanu did not mind the venue, adding: 'I think sometimes on the smaller courts you get a bigger feel for the match, the atmosphere and the environment, because it's a lot closer, more intimate, and you hear the support more. 'For me, I love playing on those smaller, outside courts where you really feel the support and the crowd gets into it. I was filling my bottle up, and I was literally having a chat in the stands because that's how close it is.' Elsewhere, British number three Sonay Kartal got her singles campaign off to a winning start with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory over Australia 's world number 16 Daria Kasatkina.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
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‘Nervous' Emma Raducanu enjoys win with Katie Boulter in rare doubles outing
Raducanu had before this played doubles just once, partnering Clara Tauson in round one of the 2022 Washington Open, and alongside Boulter was fully backed by the home crowd on the packed and more intimate Court One. The WTA 500 event marks the first time in 52 years Queen's has hosted women's tennis, and while the pairing of British number one Boulter and number two Raducanu were not quite ready to submit their entries to Wimbledon, there were hugs and fist-pumps aplenty as they got their grass court seasons underway. Friends who win together 🤗@WTA | #HSBCChampionships — LTA (@the_LTA) June 9, 2025 'I was actually very nervous before the match,' said 2021 US Open champion Raducanu, who has drawn a to be determined qualifier for her opening singles match. 'I don't know if you could tell, but, yeah, probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn't necessarily know what to do. 'I'm really happy once we got out there, Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I'm just so pleased to get a win.' This Queen's partnership, Raducanu revealed, came 'spontaneously', after a few close calls where she and Boulter nearly joined forces at Madrid, Paris and Miami. Asked it could extend as far as Wimbledon, Raducanu replied: 'We haven't spoken about it. It worked pretty well, so we're just going to keep on trying to do as best we can this week.' Boulter joked: 'Scrap what she said – we're going for the Wimbledon title! No, I'm just kidding.' The British pair claimed an early break in the first set and extended their lead to 4-2 before Wu and Jiang drew level at 4-4. Boulter and Raducanu broke back and eventually claimed the opening set, converting their second set point. Momentum in their favour, the Britons made quicker work of the pair from China and Chinese Taipei in the second set, sealed emphatically by Raducanu's volley. Fans on social media were quick to complain that the match was not available to watch in full on the BBC, who did occasionally cut to the British pair but focused on the action on the newly-christened Andy Murray Arena, where the three-time grand slam winner was honoured in a morning ceremony. The PA news agency understands contractual considerations between a number of stakeholders – including the WTA and LTA – contributed to the contest being held on the smaller court. PA has contacted the BBC for comment. Raducanu did not mind the venue, adding: 'I think sometimes on the smaller courts you get a bigger feel for the match, the atmosphere and the environment, because it's a lot closer, more intimate, and you hear the support more. 'For me, I love playing on those smaller, outside courts where you really feel the support and the crowd gets into it. I was filling my bottle up, and I was literally having a chat in the stands because that's how close it is.' Elsewhere, British number three Sonay Kartal got her singles campaign off to a winning start with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory over Australia's world number 16 Daria Kasatkina.
