Emma Raducanu enjoys dream doubles start at Queen's
The 22-year-old teamed up with British No.1 Katie Boulter to down Xinju Jiang and Fang-Hsien Wu 6-4 6-2 in the first round of the LTA's HSBC Championships.
It is the first time the duo have teamed up to play together, with Raducanu's only previous doubles experience being with Clara Tauson in the opening round of the 2022 Washington Open.
Raducanu admitted that she is relishing the opportunity to take to the court once more with Boulter after a first taste of victory in the format brushed off any initial nerves.
"I was very nervous before the match, I don't know if Katie could tell but I was probably more nervous than singles because I didn't necessarily know what to do," she said.
"I'm really happy once we got out there. Katie made me feel so comfortable and I'm pleased to get a win on the court."
The duo got off to a speedy start, immediately breaking their opponents in what looked like the beginning of a dominant performance.
Jiang and Wu later broke back and levelled the score to four games all but the British pair held and surged ahead once more to take the set.
The pair once again found their form in the second and won three games in a row to take the lead.
It meant that they were left to serve for the match and wrapped up their maiden doubles appearance together in style, sealing their spot in the second round.
The tournament marked the first time since 1973 that a women's event has been held at the Queen's Club, and Boulter and Raducanu were the first Brits to grace the courts in West Kensington.
Raducanu had already tempered expectations coming into the tournament, citing back issues which have hampered her grass court preparation, but shook off any doubts with an opening victory.
"It was good to test it out and see how it went in the match," she said. "Hopefully it stays in good shape for tomorrow."
Taking to Court One on their Queen's debut, Raducanu also noted how personal it felt to be close to the British crowd, including a memorable fan and player conversation mid-match.
"Sometimes on the smaller courts you get a better feel for the atmosphere and the environment because it's mor intimate," she said.
"I love playing on those courts as the crowd get into it.
"I was filling my bottle up and ended up having a chat in the stands because that's how close it is."
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
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