Latest news with #KatieBoulter
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Watch Queen's: Sramkova v Krejcikova after Raducanu wins
Update: Date: 17:15 BST Title: Watch: Wimbledon champion Krejcikova aims to set up Raducanu match Content: That really was some performance from Emma Raducanu today, one which bodes really well for the intense grass court swing ahead and, of course, Wimbledon in just a few weeks. That comes after wins for Katie Boulter and Heather Watson earlier today, who join Sonay Kartal in the second round of the singles at the Queen's Club. Raducanu, who returns to action alongside Boulter in doubles tomorrow, will face either reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova or Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova in the next round. You can watch that match between Krejcikova and Sramkova on BBC Two and at the top of this page now. But that's all from me today - we'll be back tomorrow for day three. Thanks for joining! Update: Date: 17:07 BST Title: 'Incredibly special' Content: Raducanu 6-1 6-2 Bucsa Finally from Emma Raducanu, on the return of a women's tournament at Queen's and the newly named Andy Murray Arena: "It's incredibly special. "I saw the arena, it's amazing what Andy achieved here and he's such an inspiration to all of us. To see him open up this court yesterday was amazing. "For us girls to have this tournament here finally, after watching the TV and seeing the men play [here], is really nice." Update: Date: 17:05 BST Title: Post Content: Raducanu 6-1 6-2 Bucsa More from Emma Radcuanu: "I'm still trying to find my groove on this surface. There are certain shots I feel like I'm still a little late on. "I knew today would be a very difficult match, I lost to Cristina [Bucsa] earlier in the year so I was trying to make sure that didn't happen again and fight to get myself into the second round. "I want to stay here playing at Queen's for as many matches as possible." Update: Date: 17:02 BST Title: 'I was a little nervous' Content: Raducanu 6-1 6-2 Bucsa Britain's Emma Raducanu speaking in her on-court interview after reaching the second round at Queen's, says: "I must say I was quite locked in today. I'm very pleased with my performance. "I was a little bit nervous for sure before beginning, [with it being] my first time playing on this court, and the support as incredible." Update: Date: 16:56 BST Title: Post Content: Raducanu 6-1 6-2 Bucsa All smiles, Emma Raducanu writes 'home turf' and adds a smiley face as she signs the camera lense. We'll hear from the British number two next. Update: Date: 16:54 BST Title: Game, set and match - Raducanu Content: Raducanu 6-1 6-2 Bucsa Now that is a very, very impressive start to Emma Raducanu's grass court season. Update: Date: 16:53 BST Title: Match points Raducanu Content: *Raducanu 6-1 5-2 Bucsa Emma Raducanu, serving for a place in the second round, hits her way to three match points. Update: Date: 16:50 BST Title: Bucsa holds serve Content: *Raducanu 6-1 5-2 Bucsa Wonderful serving from Cristina Bucsa, who completes a love hold with back-to-back aces. But it appears she's found momentum too late here against a very consistent opponent. Update: Date: 16:49 BST Title: Raducanu holds serve from break point down Content: Raducanu 6-1 5-1 Bucsa* Emma Raducanu is struggling to land a first serve as she seeks to get over the line, but Cristina Bucsa nets on an inviting second serve and her chances of getting back into this take a massive knock. Raducanu is just one game away from the second round, just shy of the hour mark. Update: Date: 16:46 BST Title: Raducanu saves break point Content: *Raducanu 6-1 4-1 Bucsa Cristina Bucsa forces a first break point after 55 minutes on Andy Murray Arena as she continues to feel more comfortable out on the grass. Emma Raducanu is keen to shut down the threat of a late comeback as she makes her way to game point, but Bucsa keeps her working for this service game. Update: Date: 16:43 BST Title: Post Content: *Raducanu 6-1 4-1 Bucsa No hint of a slip-up for Emma Raducanu down on the court, meanwhile. Cristina Bucsa claims her point of the match as she lures Emma Raducanu in with an excellent drop shot before popping in a final volley. Another well-executed drop takes her to 30-30. The Spaniard has certainly improved as this has gone on, but Raducanu is managing to keep her opponent at bay for now. She'll have to fight her off at deuce here, however. Update: Date: 16:40 BST Title: Post Content: *Raducanu 6-1 4-1 Bucsa Jess AndersonBBC Sport at Queen's Emma Raducanu is looking in supreme form here. Very comfortable indeed. More importantly, a bloke coming down the stairs just in front of me has just slipped over earning a groan of concern from the surrounding fans. He then received a round of a applause after getting to his feet with an entire tray of Pimm's still in tact. Well done to you, sir. Update: Date: 16:38 BST Title: Bucsa holds serve Content: *Raducanu 6-1 4-1 Bucsa Cristina Bucsa fires an ace down the centre to get a first game on the board. That will feel good, at least. Update: Date: 16:36 BST Title: Post Content: Raducanu 6-1 4-0 Bucsa* Cristina Bucsa, still searching for a first game in the second set, reaches game points. But Emma Raducanu isn't allowing her to have anything for free and battles back to deuce. Update: Date: 16:33 BST Title: Raducanu holds serve Content: Raducanu 6-1 4-0 Bucsa* Once again, another excellent hold from 0-30 by Emma Raducanu. The Briton is smiling between points and clearly enjoying herself. It's great to see after all she has had to contend with of late. She moves another step closer to victory, and it doesn't look like she'll allow this match to reach the hour mark. Update: Date: 16:32 BST Title: Post Content: *Raducanu 6-1 3-0 Bucsa Jess AndersonBBC Sport at Queen's The sun is absolutely beaming down on the Andy Murray Arena and Emma Raducanu looks well on her way to a very comfortable victory here. She played down her expectations at the tournament earlier this week as she continues to manage a series of back problems but she's stifled the Spanish qualifier here and it looks like we're going to have another British woman in the next round. Update: Date: 16:31 BST Title: Post Content: *Raducanu 6-1 3-0 Bucsa Credit to Cristina Bucsa, who despite the score is sticking to her task and once again reaches 0-30 on Emma Raducanu's serve. Can she force her first break point this time? Update: Date: 16:28 BST Title: Raducanu breaks for second time in second set Content: *Raducanu 6-1 3-0 Bucsa 'Come on!' yells Emma Raducanu as she further disheartens Cristina Bucsa by reaching another break point, despite the Spaniard showing an improved level. No escape. Raducanu takes charge in the rally, closing on the net and volleying in a final winner to move clear in the second set! Update: Date: 16:26 BST Title: Raducanu holds serve Content: Raducanu 6-1 2-0 Bucsa* That's a great hold by Emma Raducanu from 0-30 down. Four points on the bounce leave Cristina Bucsa disappointed, just when the Spaniard appeared to have forced the door ajar. With the break consolidated, Raducanu will hope to push on to the finish untroubled after dominating this match so far. Update: Date: 16:23 BST Title: Post Content: *Raducanu 6-1 1-0 Bucsa A free-hitting Cristina Bucsa rallies to 0-30 on Emma Raducanu's serve. How will the Briton cope with a first bit of pressure on one of her games? An excellent serve out wide catches the line and Bucsa can't reply, and great defence from the baseline brings her level as Bucsa's racquet strings go ping mid-point.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Emma Raducanu ‘really feeling it' at Queen's as she eases into second round
Emma Raducanu admitted she was 'really feeling it' after she overcame early nerves to open her grass court singles season with an emphatic 6-1 6-2 victory over Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa and book her place in the second round at Queen's. The 22-year-old, who secured a first doubles victory with partner Katie Boulter on Monday, revealed before the tournament – the first time Queen's has hosted women's tennis in 52 years – that she was still managing ongoing back issues, playing down expectations for this WTA 500 event which boasts a £1million prize pot. And though she insisted her hopes were 'staying low', Raducanu was in fine form on centre court – on Monday inaugurated as the Andy Murray Arena – where she dispatched Bucsa in just one hour and four minutes. 'I must say I was quite locked in today,' Raducanu said on court, later telling a press conference: 'I think the biggest thing I'm proud of is just the way I handled the situation. 'But, I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous before the match. The way I overcame that I think is really, for me, a great achievement. 'I think I built my way into the match. I didn't necessarily feel (locked in) from the get-go, but I think as the match went on, I definitely got that. I was really feeling it.' Those back niggles have not entirely disappeared, but Raducanu was clearly enjoying herself. She added: 'I play my best when my personality is put on the court and I can express myself, and I feel like sometimes when I've been constrained to play a certain way, it hasn't necessarily worked, and I just need to be free and expressive and then certain moments of creativity can come up. 'I mean, it's easier said than done to be yourself, especially when you're on such a big stage, but for sure when I'm playing freely, when I'm swinging and taking on chances, that is when I'm at my best. Yeah, then I think as that happened today, I could kind of relax into it and more and more could come up.' Raducanu faces Slovakian Rebecca Sramkova in the round of 16 on Thursday, but next up is round two of the doubles at midday on Wednesday, where she and British number one Boulter will take on Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe, who knocked out the other all-British duo, Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage, earlier in the afternoon. British number one Boulter 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 6-4 6-3. It was not to be for British wildcard Fran Jones, however, who was defeated in straight sets 6-2 6-4 by American McCartney Kessler.
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Emma Raducanu makes short work of opening win at Queen's
The 22-year-old, who secured a first doubles victory with partner Katie Boulter on Monday, revealed before the tournament – the first time Queen's has hosted women's tennis in 52 years – that she was still managing ongoing back issues, playing down expectations for this WTA 500 event, boasting a £1million prize pot. 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.
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Raducanu leads British trio into second round at Queen's Club
LONDON, June 10 (Reuters) - Emma Raducanu had a comfortable straight sets win over Spain's Cristina Bucsa and was one of three Britons to reach the second round of the WTA 500 tournament at Queen's Club on Tuesday. Bucsa had won their only previous meeting in the first round of this year's Singapore Open, but this time the Spaniard was no match for the 22-year-old wildcard and Raducanu strolled to a 6-1 6-2 win. "I'm still trying to find my groove on this surface," Raducanu said. "I knew today would be a very difficult match, I lost to Cristina earlier in the year so I was trying to make sure that didn't happen again and fight to get myself into the second round." Raducanu is likely to face a tougher task in the next round where she could meet current Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova if the Czech seventh seed overcomes Slovak Rebecca Sramkova. Top tier women's tennis has returned to Queen's Club for the first time since 1973 and the home crowd had plenty to cheer on day two with Katie Boulter and Heather Watson also winning their first-round matches. "To have the women back here, it feels very special," Boulter, current British number one, said. "It's something I've dreamt of, actually walking out on this court, after the last couple of years coming as a fan watching the men." Boulter beat Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6(4) 1-6 6-4 while Watson defeated Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 6-4 6-3 to earn a second-round clash with another Kazakh, fourth seed former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. The other Briton in action, Francesca Jones went down 6-2 6-4 to American McCartney Kessler who will meet top seed Zheng Quinwen.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Emma Raducanu serves up straight-sets drubbing to Queen's qualifier as former US Open champion books her spot in the second round after doubles success
Emma Raducanu thrashed qualifier Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-2 as she began her singles campaign at Queen's on Tuesday afternoon. The former US Open champion spoke of her love of small courts after her box-office doubles partnership with Katie Boulter was buried on Court One on Monday due to television rights obligations, but she looked more than at home on the newly named Andy Murray Arena. So comfortable, in fact, that looming concerns over a back injury suffered in the build-up appeared a world away on Tuesday afternoon, as Raducanu had as an easy a time as her compatriot Boulter had toiled against Ajla Tomljanovic in the earlier match. While Bucsa does not register as one of her most fearsome opponents to date, the world No116 was unable to lay a glove on Raducanu - who, if she can make a deep run at The Queen's Club, could go into Wimbledon as British No1 again. After gritting her teeth to hold onto her serve in the third game, Raducanu was scarcely troubled in the first set as she planted her flag firmly on the tournament's centre court, with the player noting after the match she was 'particularly locked in' in the afternoon sunshine. Raducanu looked particularly confident at pace, claiming the first break of the match with a lightly popped backhand volley that Bucsa, mercilessly dragged across all four corners of the court, hadn't a hope of reaching. Another on-the-run forehand and a string of flashing baseline winners made Bucsa look out of place wherever she positioned herself, with Raducanu sprinting to the finish of the opening set as if she had a train to catch. When Raducanu plays like this, it can be a challenge not to get carried away thinking of her miraculous rise to prominence. Should she ever hope to match that undreamed-of US Open win, beating a doubles specialist who has gone through two rounds of qualifying like Bucsa will only the first step of many, but you can only play the opponent in front of you. Raducanu did so like a tornado ripping up a frontier town. In front of an appreciative home crowd, Raducanu started the second set as comfortably as she had won the first, and was only tested for the first time five games in. Bucsa's first hold for some time was hard fought, but after an exchange of advantages, the Spaniard could walk back to her chair after the game with her head a little higher after serving up a zippy ace to finally claim it. But a remontada this was not; although Bucsa had Raducanu beaten after pushing her into a deep cross-court backhand before wafting a drop shot into acres of empty court for 30-30, and proved nettlesome as Raducanu's service level briefly dropped. But after pulling off the sticky hold for 5-1, winning the match on her racquet was child's play. Raducanu may have tried to play down British hopes with warnings of her 'pretty low expectations' in west London, but she will have a harder time convincing Tuesday's crowd after performances like this.
