Emma Raducanu makes short work of opening win at Queen's
But wild card Raducanu was in fine form on Tuesday afternoon on centre court – the day before inaugurated as the Andy Murray Arena – where she dispatched Bucsa in just one hour and four minutes, much to the delight of the home crowd who were behind the 2021 US Open champion the whole way.
Emma Raducanu was 'locked in' during a comprehensive straight sets win (John Walton/PA)
'I must say I was quite locked in today,' Raducanu said on court. 'I'm very pleased with my performance. I was a little bit nervous for sure at the beginning, it's my first time playing on this court at Queen's in London, and the support is incredible.
'I'm still trying to find my groove on this surface, there are certain shots that I feel like I am a little bit late on, so I'm working on that.
'I knew today was going to be a very difficult match. I actually lost to Cristina earlier on in the year, so I was really trying to fight and make sure that didn't happen again.
'I was really trying to fight and get myself into the second round, because I just want to stay here playing at Queen's as many matches as I possibly can.'
This was Raducanu's first appearance on the west London venue's marquee stage after making her Queen's debut on the smaller Court One on Monday with British number one Boulter.
Katie Boulter finally saw off Ajla Tomljanovic (John Walton/PA)
The latter also punched her ticket to the second round but in much grittier fashion, battling to a 7-6 (4) 1-6 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic.
'When I walked out it actually surpassed what I thought it would feel like when I kind of imagined it,' said Boulter, adding: 'I think it's very easy to get caught up in just trying to get your first grass court match, also coming to such an historic venue as well, which holds a lot of purpose and a lot of familiar feelings when I've come here before.'
Earlier, Heather Watson set up a second-round meeting with fourth seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina after upsetting world number 27 Yulia Putintseva, 107 places above her in the rankings, 6-4 6-3.
Former British number one Watson won all four of her break points to see off her Kazakh opponent in an hour and 22 minutes.
Tuesday's results ensured four Britons qualified for the round of 16 after Sonay Kartal set up a meeting with American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova by beating Daria Kasatkina 6-1 3-6 6-3 on Monday.
It was not to be for British wildcard Fran Jones, however, who was defeated in straight 6-2 6-4 sets by American McCartney Kessler, while the other all-British pair in the doubles draw, Kartel and Jodie Burrage, were knocked out in a nervy 7-6 (8) 7-6 (1) defeat to Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe.
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Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Why Oakmont is the world's scariest golf course
It had not happened to Paul Casey before and has not happened to anyone since. When the Englishman walked towards the recorder's hut in the 2007 US Open, his fellow pros on the practice green put down their putters and delivered a collective round of applause. Casey had not won – it was only the Friday – but with a 66 he had, for one day only, conquered Oakmont. 'That was a one-off, not just my score, but the reaction from the guys,' Casey told Telegraph Sport. 'Anywhere else and you shoot a good score and all you get from them is a grunt of 'Well done'. It just shows the difficulty of Oakmont. It bites and it bites hard.' Indeed, the joke in the clubhouse is that the 18 holes would be more appropriately placed in Transylvania than Pennsylvania. The members cherish its reputation as the hardest course on the major rotas – maybe too much – and love to repeat the statement of the founder's son, WC Fownes: 'Let the clumsy, the spineless and the alibi makers stand aside.' When his father, Henry Clay Fownes, designed the layout in 1903 he did so with the intent of replicating the unyielding nature of the links he encountered during his formative years in Britain. Fownes was not thinking major headaches for the multi-millionaire superstars of the next century, but only of the locals at that time and to this day they are unique in demanding their greenstaff ensure it is kept at championship severity. Another quip in the spikes bar is that the greens – described by Jack Nicklaus as 'the quickest and most daunting in the world' – are actually slowed down for US Open week. At least, the eavesdroppers assume it is a quip. Gilbert Hanse is not so sure. The renowned architect was brought in a few years ago to update the layout but was definitely not handed carte blanche. He was given one order from the club: 'It better not be easier when you're done.' Jim Furyk was born in Pittsburgh and knows the Oakmont denizens well. 'I don't know if they're gluttons for punishment, but they are very proud of their course and the fact that it's hosted more US Opens than any other,' Furyk, twice a runner-up here, said. 'I think a lot of them hold memberships at other clubs so as not to get their rear end kicked all the time.' They cannot wait to see their pride and joy taking lumps out of the game's elite. They are golfing ghouls, the type of sadists who would be minded to crowd on the bridges on the M6 just to watch the crashes, which is ironic as there is an actual motorway going through the middle of Oakmont Country Club. The course is elevated, so the drivers have no idea what they are zooming past. But if they turn off the radio and open their windows they might hear the wails coming from up above. Rory McIlroy shot an 81 in practice – ' I birdied the last two and felt I played well ' – and Scottie Scheffler has been similarly flummoxed. 'This is probably the hardest golf course that we'll play,' the world No 1 said. 'Maybe ever.' The ferocity of the challenge is written all over the scorecards. In its 98-year status as a US Open venue, 1,385 players have teed it up and only 28 have finished under par, according to the United States Golf Association. What makes it such a fearsome test? Four factors. The tightness of the fairways (at an average of 27 yards wide); the thickness of the rough (five inches tall and extra juicy); the malevolence of the bunkers (175 in number and callously deep); and the slopes and speed of the greens. The latter defines everything. The unparalleled putting surfaces – if you think Augusta's have gradients, they are but salt flats compared to these pistes – are so difficult to hold the ball on that the golfer must be playing their approach from the fairway. Nightmare fuel. 😱 #TeamTaylorMade — TaylorMade Golf (@TaylorMadeGolf) June 10, 2025 Saying that, those errant off tee will only be chopping out from the rough anyway. And the thick stuff surrounding the greens means that you will see pitches travelling a few inches. There are hundreds of spotters, but the wise money is at least a few balls being lost in the cabbage. And there is no first cut, so this could occur a matter of feet from the fairway. With four putts an inevitability, expect fury from the participants. And if it does not rain, mutiny could be in the air. 'The fairways have strong slopes, making them extra narrow if firm, ' Paul McGinley, the former Ryder Cup captain and Sky pundit said. 'The greens are the fastest and most undulating in golf. Firm ground conditions would produce scoring carnage.' McGinley predicts a five-under winning total if the thunderstorms strike. But the forecasters say that it is 50-50. If the weather remains warm. McGinley thinks five-over could be the number as the galleries salute the first over-par major champion in seven years. That would of course raise the question, did they go too far? Well, the USGA is the arch master of the major cock-up so it would not be too great a surprise. It would be a crying shame, however, if negativity hit such a great course, with the iconic 120-yard 'Church Pews' bunker that runs between the third and fourth, and a cast-list of winners that reads like a golfing scripture. No doubt, it is fun to watch experts suffer and see them experience our own hacker nightmares, but when a track like this boasts a 301-yard par three (the eighth) then it only heightens the suspicion that the organisers and, in this case, the host club, are going out of their way to make the top flight look stupid. So much for the USGA's age-old promise that 'we are not trying to humiliate the best players in the world – we are simply trying to identify them'. . @TyrrellHatton vs. the rough at Oakmont. 😂 #USOpen — PING GOLF (@PingTour) June 10, 2025 The competitors should simply be thankful to their predecessors who threatened to boycott the 1962 US Open. The likes of Arnold Palmer demanded that they stop furrowing the bunkers with cynically shaped rakes known as ''the devil's backscratcher'. The metal instrument came with heavy tines which created two- to three-inch ridges. The pros were so infuriated that one commented: 'Those aren't bunkers, they are places to plant potatoes.' So Oakmont made a concession. But just the one. Top 10 toughest courses in golf 10. Augusta National, Georgia Masters: 1934-present Next to Muirfield and perhaps Turnberry, the home of the Masters is the best course on the majors rota. Demanding, unique and stunningly beautiful. 9. Royal Birkdale, England The Open: 1954, 1961, 1965, 1971, 1976, 1983, 1991, 1998. 2008, 2017 The best course in England is also the toughest if Mother Nature is in a links type of mood. Rolling through the dunes, the layout offers the complete challenge. If a links can be described as unfair then this is it. 8. Olympic Club, San Francisco US Open: 1955, 1966, 1987, 1998, 2012 Staged the 1955 US Open, which many believe presented the toughest post-war major challenge. The rough can be brutal, which is a problem as the fairways are tight. The slick, undulating greens only add to the torture. 7. Shinnecock Hills, New York US Open: 1896, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2018 Brilliant Long Island layout really does not need tricking up as the USGA stupidly did on the weekend of the 2004 US Open, neglecting to water the greens. If it is windy, then be prepared to be attacked from all directions. 6. Whistling Straits, Wisconsin US PGA: 2004, 2010, 2015 A merciless Pete Dye design. The brute on the shores of Lake Michigan is incredibly rugged, boasting more than 1,000 bunkers. A man-made links that is ultra challenging if Mother Nature is in one of her moods. 5. Bethpage Black, New York US Open: 2002, 2009. US PGA: 2019 This public course comes with a sign warning that ordinary members of the public would be wise not to play it. Many believe this Long Island eye-strainer is the toughest course in the United States for handicappers, with huge bunkers and small greens. It hosts this year's Ryder Cup. 4. Winged Foot, New York US Open: 1929, 1959, 1974, 1984, 2006, 2020. US PGA: 1997 When asked what the difficulty rating out of 10 he would give the New York State layout, Jack Nicklaus famously replied '11, or maybe 12'. At the 2006 US Open, it was a nightmare to get up and down from around the greens. 3. Kiawah Island, South Carolina US PGA: 2012, 2021 Host course of the infamous 1991 'War On The Shore' Ryder Cup, this Pete Dye creation in South Carolina boasts some stunning holes, especially the par-three 17th. If the wind is up it is a terrifying test. 2. Carnoustie, Scotland The Open: 1931, 1937, 1953, 1968, 1975, 1999, 2007, 2018. The beast on the Open rota. Jack Nicklaus says it is the hardest course in the world and if the elements comply then he is probably right. At the mercy of the North Sea, the weather whips in across a barren landscape. 'Carnasty', as it is known. 1. Oakmont, Pennsylvania US Open: 1927, 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1994, 2007, 2016. US PGA: 1922, 1951, 1978 The jewel of Pittsburgh is a fantastic challenge which borders on the unfair if its incredibly undulating greens are too fast. It is the only course where the USGA asks the club to slow down the greens for the pros. Deep bunkers are sadistically placed.
Daily Record
31 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Steven Davis still harbours Rangers manager dream as fairytale Ibrox reunion rumours set straight
The Northern Ireland number two had a brief stint as Gers interim boss in 2023 Steven Davis has come to terms with the fact he didn't get to wave goodbye to Rangers with his boots on. But the former Light Blues skipper isn't ready to give up yet on his dream of stepping back over the Ibrox threshold one day wearing a pair of managerial brown brogues. It's two-and-half years since the Northern Irishman kicked his final ball for the club he loves. A freak ACL tear suffered in training just before Christmas 2022 ended what was a glittering playing career for club and country. Despite the four-time Scottish title winner's best efforts, there was no fairy-tale comeback nor a chance to bid farewell to the Gers support from the pitch he had graced so elegantly over two spells in Glasgow. That might have stung the 40-year-old once upon a time but these days he's accepted the rotten luck that brought the curtain crashing down on his spell as British football's most capped player ever. Now working as an assistant to NornIron boss Michael O'Neill, he's looking to the next stage of his career. He's already had the briefest of tastes of what it would be like to manage Rangers having been drafted in for a two-game stint as Ibrox caretaker in October 2023 in between Michael Beale's sacking and the appointment of Philippe Clement. And that's only fired his desire to get back to Govan and take the acclaim of the Light Blue legions, this time as boss himself. Looking back on the end on the injury that ended his career, Davis said: 'To be honest, I've got over it. 'You try to put a different spin on it. For me, I was very fortunate throughout my career not to have major injuries, and that allowed me to play to the level I did until the age I was. 'Of course, in an ideal world, I would liked to have said my goodbyes in a different way and have that decision being my own. 'But that was taken away from me. I tried my best to try and get back, but I never felt I would go back to the level I would be happy with. 'So ultimately, the decision was made, and I was kind of at peace with that, but of course it would have been lovely to have a send-off on the pitch rather than do it on the sidelines.' The sidelines is now where he sees his future - and hopes he'll get to perch himself on the whitewash marking off the technical area at Ibrox. The WhatsApp rumours that swept Glasgow last month suggested that dream was set to take a step closer, with Davis apparently lined-up to return as No2 to Steven Gerrard. The gossip proved false in the end as Russell Martin got the call to replace Clement. But it's undeniably true that Davis sees his future back at Rangers. 'There was never any contact, to be honest,' responded Davis as he was quizzed on the Gerrard whispers. 'Obviously, I was getting a lot of messages and everybody thought it was a foregone conclusion, but that's the rumour mill, isn't it? 'For me, obviously, the club means so much to me. I've got great memories from my time there. It's hard to envisage that I'll not be back at some point in the future, but you just never know in football. 'I'd like to assume that will be the case but at this minute in time, that's not an option, so we'll see what the future holds. 'Is that still the dream? One hundred percent. I think it's the same as when I was a kid. 'Obviously, I grew up a Rangers fan and got to play for the club. The ambition was to make just one appearance. Obviously, my career involved much more than I could have ever have envisaged. 'But at this minute in time, I'm at the starting part of my journey as a coach. 'I've been involved with Michael and the Northern Ireland team, which has been really good for me. I'm doing my badges as well, so that's just part of the process. But we'll see what the future holds. 'Ultimately, one day it would be great to be step back into Ibrox as manager.' Davis's short stint in charge involved a Europa League defeat to Aris Limassol and win over St Mirren. It didn't last long but it was a valuable insight into the demands of one of the most demanding roles in football. 'Oh it was huge,' he said. 'Just to get the opportunity to be put in that position was obviously something you could never refuse. 'It wasn't in my mind at that time. I was fully focused on rehabbing and trying to get back to play. That was my only focus. 'But it came out of the blue and it was an opportunity that I absolutely loved. It whetted the appetite in many ways. It gives you a taste of what the other side's like and it's totally different. 'As a player, you have a sort of feeling of what management and coaching will be like, you don't get a full grasp of it until you're really in it and see it, the detail that goes into the preparation for everything. 'It was a really valuable experience for me and hopefully something that I can carry with me going forward. In many ways that was probably a blessing that I was just throw in at the deep end. I just had to go with it. 'I tried to give it my all during the time that I was there. It was only short-lived but it was an incredible experience to get at that time. 'You just try to do the best to your ability. Around the club at that point and all the players, there was a lot of negativity so I just tried to go in and be positive. 'We only had the two games before the international break, when Philippe then came in. But it was really invaluable for me to get that experience.' :: Davis was speaking as he helped promote 10 Years On - a celebratory event taking place at Belfast's Ulster Hall on May 2, 2026, marking next year's anniversary of Northern Ireland's Euro 2016 campaign. For tickets go to
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Fresh Florian Wirtz transfer talks emerge as Leverkusen eye Liverpool star
Liverpool are already making moves in the transfer market as they seek more star power to bolster Arne Slot's title-winning squad ahead of the upcoming 2025-26 campaign Liverpool mean business in the summer transfer window. And after swiftly securing a replacement for the outgoing Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Reds are now closing in on a British record transfer. Arne Slot and Co are in a strong position after winning the Premier League and will be out to defend their domestic crown. The Dutchman will be given the funds to strengthen the squad after predominantly working with the same group of players he inherited from Jurgen Klopp last summer. While the focus is on incomings, a number of outgoings are expected, too. Darwin Nunez could be the biggest name to depart with Liverpool weighing up a move for a new No.9. With things heating up, Mirror Football rounds up all the latest transfer news and gossip from in and around Anfield... READ MORE: Fresh Wirtz talks We're getting closer to a deal but talks between Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen are ongoing over the finer details of the monstrous package that will see Florian Wirtz head to Anfield. The Reds will not be meeting the £126million price tag that Leverkusen have slapped on their sought-after star. But they are prepared to offer the Bundesliga outfit a guaranteed £100m, with the deal likely to eclipse the current British transfer record with add-ons. Talks are set to continue with a deal edging closer... Leverkusen eye Quansah There has been plenty of speculation that players could be included in a deal to get Wirtz over the line and Bayer Leverkusen have now been credited with an interest in Jarrel Quansah. The Athletic have confirmed that the £40million-rated centre half is indeed on the German outfit's radar, with Leverkusen in the market for a new defender. Any deal for Quansah would be separate to the blockbuster one involving Wirtz, who will likely become the most expensive Premier League player of all-time should a move to Anfield be finalised. Leverkusen are in the market for a new central defender after losing Jonathan Tah on a free transfer to Bayern Munich. Kerkez gets green light for move Milos Kerkez has been given the green light to join Liverpool - by his Bournemouth team-mate, Justin Kluivert. Kerkez is known to be the Reds' top target as they seek another left-back. Talks over a deal with one of the Cherries' star performers are ongoing with Kerkez keen on joining Arne Slot's side. And Kluivert has now told Voetbal Primeur: 'He'll probably go there. I hope so for him. He hasn't really said goodbye yet, but I hope he'll make it happen there.'
