Raducanu powers into Queen's Club quarters as last Briton standing
LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) - Emma Raducanu cruised into the quarter-finals at the Queen's Club Championships with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Rebecca Sramkova on Thursday but fellow Britons Katie Boulter and Heather Watson were knocked out.
The stands at the Andy Murray Arena were packed for Raducanu's victory as she advanced as the lone Briton left in the tournament and she will potentially play top seed and Paris Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who is playing later on Thursday.
Raducanu raced into a 5-0 lead as the 22-year-old looked at ease on the grass but Sramkova saved two set points in the sixth game, finding her range in a comeback that quickly gathered pace.
The Slovakian won four games on the trot as Raducanu's winners dried up but the Briton then recovered and served to love to seal the opening set, flashing a sheepish smile at her team as she walked back to her seat.
Raducanu took confidence from her first serve and she started the second set as she did the first, racing into a 4-0 lead after she quickly consolidated a double break when Sramkova made a slew of errors.
Raducanu then won the contest by converting a sixth break point, with victory confirming the former U.S. Open champion's status as the British number one again, leapfrogging her doubles partner Boulter.
"I don't think it was my cleanest performance, but I'm really happy to have pushed through in some tight moments that decided the first set," Raducanu said.
"It was really helpful... to have a big roar of support to get me through that last service game. So I appreciate that."
Fourth seed Elena Rybakina showcased her power as she fired nine aces to beat Watson 6-4 6-2 after the Briton failed to capitalise on seven break points.
Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina also became the first female player to fire 200 aces this year.
"It was a tough match, she played really well. I am pretty happy with my game, especially in the second set," Rybakina said.
"Hopefully with every match it will be better and better. I am enjoying my time here."
Meanwhile, Russian fifth seed Diana Shnaider fought back from a set down to beat Boulter 2-6 6-3 6-2 to set up a quarter-final with Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
"Katie is such a lovely person, I love her with all my heart. To play her and beat her in front of her home crowd, I am so sorry," Shnaider said.
"I hope you don't hate me too much and come support me tomorrow!"
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Reuters
19 minutes ago
- Reuters
Zheng beats Raducanu at Queen's after change of shoes, Rybakina upset by Maria
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Top seed Zheng Qinwen beat home favourite Emma Raducanu 6-2 6-4 to move into the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championships on Friday while 37-year-old Tatjana Maria upset 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to reach the last four. In an entertaining battle at the Andy Murray Arena, Zheng showed she could be a worthy contender heading into Wimbledon as she marched into her first semi-final on grass when she converted her fourth match point. Zheng has won singles titles on clay and hardcourts but she is still adapting to grass, with the 22-year-old showing a marked improvement in her match with Raducanu after she changed her shoes midway through a game when the Briton was serving. "I want to apologise for my shoes. I didn't want to fall two times, but I just don't know how to run on grass," Zheng said sheepishly. "I still don't know when I have to change the grass shoes. I think right now is the time, so it's the new shoes. I feel much better to run. "It was a really difficult match for me, especially (because) she has got more experience than me on the grasscourt. I'm just really happy to get into the semi-final for the first time on grass." Zheng and Raducanu were neck-and-neck in the opening set until the Chinese world number five finally broke serve to go 4-2 up. The home crowd largely favoured Raducanu but Zheng did not waver and the Paris Olympic champion claimed the opening set despite a fall on set point. Raducanu took a medical timeout for a back issue before the second set and that swung the momentum the Briton's way as she secured a double break to go 3-0 up. But Zheng quickly recovered and levelled the set, before going 5-4 up with an overhead smash that kissed the line, with the crowd gasping as one when they watched a replay of the point. Serving to stay in the match, Raducanu produced a double fault to give Zheng three match points which she saved before the top seed prevailed. Germany's Maria, who came through the qualifiers and also knocked out sixth seed Karolina Muchova in the last-16, stunned Rybakina 6-4 7-6(4) to move into a WTA semi-final for the first time in two years. A mother of two whose eldest daughter is 11 and travels with her on tour, Maria is ranked number 86 in the world. "Oh my God, it means so much to me. It's a perfect example to never give up and to always keep going, doesn't matter what, because I'm still here and I'm living this dream," said Maria, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2022. "I have my family with me, an amazing team. So much support and so much love, and we are really enjoying the ride together. "I'm super, super proud to be in the semi-final and I hope in a few years you will see my daughter in the same stage here!" Maria will face second seed Madison Keys, who battled back from a set down to beat Diana Shnaider 2-6 6-3 6-4. "Diana played so well and she's always a tricky opponent," Keys said. "I had to raise my level after the first set, and I'm happy that I managed to figure it out."
The Sun
22 minutes ago
- The Sun
Emma Raducanu gets treatment for back injury in worrying scenes as she crashes out of Queen's 17 days before Wimbledon
EMMA RADUCANU took a medical timeout and struggled with a niggling back injury as she crashed out of the Queen's tournament. Seventeen days before Wimbledon opens its doors for the 2025 Championships, the biggest name in British tennis is once again having to manage her body amid physical problems. 2 2 After losing the first set of her quarter-final tie with Qinwen Zheng, on the hottest day of the year thus far, the Kent hitter went to the changing rooms to undergo treatment. It all relates to back spasms she suffered before the French Open and prior to arriving in Paris, the 22-year-old had to overcome her fear of needles to undergo acupuncture to help cure the pain. It was on these grounds nearly 12 months ago that Andy Murray injured his back and ended up never playing another singles match. It is not as severe as that but still, those in Raducanu's camp will be praying this incident does not disrupt her plans as she hopes to play in Berlin next week and then Eastbourne before a fourth appearance in the Wimbledon main draw. Zheng, the world No.5, won 6-2 6-4 in a drawn-out affair and will now face an American in the semi-finals – it will either be Emma Navarro or Amanda Anisimova on Saturday. Before walking out into the Andy Murray Arena, Raducanu made a point of taking AirPods out of her ears and putting them away, presumably because she wanted to hear the roar of the public for her entrance. How Zheng would cope mentally with a packed crowd cheering against her would play a significant role in the outcome of this contest. The Olympic singles champion, 22, was not exactly in the fans' good books when she decided in game six, while on break point on Raducanu's serve, to change her shoes. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS The Asian star slipped on the grass and told the umpire that she needed to swap her footwear. Pimm's-fuelled punters were not having any of it and slow-clapped while she sat on her chair and booed when she returned to the baseline, even though Zheng apologised several times for the interruption. Raducanu was unconvincing on her own serve and looked tense and nervous in the opening games and was even questioning some of the calls made by the new electric line calling system. There were two chances, at 4-2 down in the first set, where she might have broken back immediately but Zheng, a huge star in her homeland, fought off those moments. Zheng – who had only won FOUR matches on grass before facing the 2021 US Open champion – sealed the first set with 49 minutes on the clock. It was in bizarre circumstances as she was on the floor, having slipped over again, but Raducanu failed to find the open court, hitting the ball into the net. A set down, Raducanu went backstage and took a medical timeout as she had treatment on a troublesome lower back region. During the first set, she could be seen stretching her back during a changeover. These were worrying scenes but unfortunately a situation that has become all too familiar with Raducanu since that historic Slam win in New York in September 2021. Perhaps a surge of adrenaline explains how she came out looking like a different player in the second set, racing into a 3-0 and then 4-2 lead, the first break in game one courtesy of a Zheng double fault. But with the temperature gauge recording 27.5 degrees, Raducanu felt the heat and soon it was 4-4 apiece as she gifted a break to her opponent due to her sixth of seven double faults in the match. Though she managed to stave off three match points in game 10, Zheng progressed when Raducanu's forehand sailed long.
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Ospreys sign South African Boshoff on permanent deal
Centre Evardi Boshoff will rejoin Ospreys from Toyota Cheetahs on a permanent deal for the 2025-26 first joined the Ospreys on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 season and returned for a second loan spell the following 26-year-old South African has made a total of 23 appearances for Ospreys during his previous loan spells."I'm looking forward to having a full season with this group and reconnecting with the fans who have been great since I first came here," Boshoff said."I've really enjoyed life in Wales, the people here are so welcoming …. This is a special club and it's a privilege to be a part of."Ospreys head coach Mark Jones said: "Evardi is both a talented and dedicated player who has already proven his ability at this level."I was really impressed with how he stepped up to the plate for us last season."We've seen in the past how much he can contribute on and off the field, and his return not only brings a familiarity to our backline, but also some valuable experience amongst it as well."
