Latest news with #QueensClub
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Japan Times
Raducanu stars as women's tennis makes historic return to Queen's
Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu stole the spotlight as women's tennis made a historic return to Queen's Club for the first time in 52 years on Monday. With the dust barely settled from the thrilling French Open titles won by Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff last weekend, Queen's marks the transition to grass courts and this year's event is a milestone moment in the tennis calendar. Since 1973, Queen's has been solely an ATP event. But a groundbreaking deal was struck last year to play a WTA 500 tournament in Barons Court before the men compete from June 16. Reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, Australian Open holder Madison Keys, 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina and world number five Zheng Qinwen are among the female stars set to feature at Queen's this week. But Raducanu, who famously won the U.S. Open as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021, was the headline act on opening day. Fans waited in line for an hour to see the British star partnered with Katie Boulter in their 6-4, 6-2 first round doubles win over Jiang Xinyu and Wu Feng-hsien. Raducanu, who faces Cristina Bucsa in the singles first round on Tuesday, enjoyed the experience on the intimate Court One, bantering with Boulter and even laughing with spectators. "I love playing on those smaller courts where you really feel the support and crowd gets into it," she said. "I was filling my bottle up and I was literally having a chat in the stands because that's how close it is. It puts a really nice feel to it." Raducanu, who has struggled with poor form and back spasms this year, looked reinvigorated alongside Boulter. It was an especially memorable afternoon for Raducanu after her visits to Queen's as a child. "When I came with my dad, I was more hunting the (chocolate) brownies around the grounds and not so interested in the tennis! To be back now and competing in it feels amazing," the world number 37 said. Fittingly, Queen's center court was officially renamed the Andy Murray Arena on Monday in tribute to the retired Scot's five titles in the men's event. 'A privilege' Former world number one Murray has been an vocal advocate of women's tennis and was coached as a boy by Russian Olga Morozova, who was the last female Queen's champion in 1973. "Having women's tennis back at Queen's for the first time in over 50 years is brilliant," the two-time Wimbledon winner said. "I just met the last winner here, Olga Morozova, who actually coached me when I was 12, 13 years old. "It's a great chance for women to showcase themselves out there." When Morozova triumphed over half a century ago, the tournament was much different. Players arrived on the London underground, rain forced matches to be moved indoors onto a wooden court and the champion received just £1,000 ($1,353) in prize money. Sunday's final winner will bank a check for £120,000, but the total prize money fund for the women's tournament is only £1.04 million, while the men's event has a £2.12 million pot. Responding to criticism of that disparity, the Lawn Tennis Association pledged to have equal prize money at Queen's by 2029. Despite the awkward prize money optics, the mood at Queen's was resolutely upbeat. "It's a seminal moment, given it's the first time we've had a women's tournament in London for more than 50 years," LTA managing director Chris Pollard said. "In many respects it's long overdue." Over 80% of the tickets for the week have been sold, with fans treated to a dramatic first round loss for former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova. Kvitova, who became a mother for the first time last year, was beaten 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia. The 35-year-old Czech has lost six of her seven matches since returning from maternity leave in February. "It's a privilege to be here," Haddad Maia said. "This club is very special and it means a lot to be on this stadium in front of everyone who loves tennis."
ABC News
6 hours ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia's Daria Kasatkina beaten by Britain's Sonay Kartal in Queen's Club first round
Daria Kasatkina has suffered her worst defeat since switching to represent Australia in late March, beaten 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 by fast-rising Brit Sonay Kartal at the revived Queen's Club women's tournament. Kasatkina was fresh off a promising run to the last 16 at Roland Garros last week and her weekend engagement to long-term partner Natalia Zabiiako, a former Olympic skater. Women's singles, first round But her joy was soured, temporarily at least, as Kartal delighted the home crowd in the first women's tournament at Queen's in more than 50 years. In the last final, in 1973, Evonne Goolagong (now Cawley) lost to Russia's Olga Morozova, who would go on to lose that year's Wimbledon final a few weeks later. That was the fourth successive final featuring an Australian, Margaret Court having won in 1970 and 1971 and Karen Krantzcke losing to Chris Evert in 1972. Any hopes that Kasatkina would maintain the Aussie run 52 years on soon disappeared against Kartal, who has climbed from 271st in the world to 50th in a year. This was the 23-year-old's best win of her career, world number 16 Kasatkina becoming her second top-20 victim after beating Beatriz Haddad Maia at Indian Wells. Kasatkina briefly hinted at battling back when she rallied from 0-40 at 2-4 in the final set to force deuce, but on the newly christened Andy Murray Arena, Kartal held for 5-2 then served out at 5-3, her winning forehand leaving Kasatkina flat-footed. The result left two Australians in the draw, Ajla Tomljanovic and Maddison Inglis. Inglis drew number six seed Karolína Muchová and was last on court on Monday evening. She lost the first set on a tiebeak 7-6 (7/5) but battled back to take the second set 6-3. At that point, with darkness falling, play was suspended. The winner will meet German qualifier Tatjana Maria, who beat former US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 7-6 (7/4), 6-2. On Tuesday Tomljanovic plays Alex de Minaur's fiancee Katie Boulter, who earlier teamed up with Emma Raducanu in a doubles pairing that had the British media swooning as they won their first-round match. Do you have a story idea about women in sport? Email us abcsport5050@ In the day's opening match Haddad Maia came from a set down to beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova, 35, returned from a 17-month maternity break in February but has only won one match since. Last year's Wimbledon semi-finalist and Olympic runner-up Donna Vekic lost 6-3, 6-3 to Anastasia Zakharova, who set up a clash against American Madison Keys. AAP
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Briton Kartal wins at Queen's at first tournament in 52 years
Britain's Sonay Kartal secured the biggest win of her career as women's tennis returned to Queen's Club for the first time since 23-year-old secured a superb 6-1 3-6 6-3 win over world number 16 Daria Kasatkina of Australia to start her grass-court season on a is the first time a women's tournament has been held at the iconic venue since 1973, when Olga Morozova lifted the has been a mainstay on the men's calendar and a WTA 500 event has been added this year in an attempt to raise the profile of the women's game and increase the visibility of the Sunday, the trophy will finally have a new name on it, with world number seven Zheng Qinwen, Australian Open champion Madison Keys and 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina among the top seeds competing in the capital. Jodie Burrage will attempt to set up a meeting with doubles partner Kartal in the last 16 when she faces Amanda Anisimova later on British pair Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu overcame China's Jiang Zinyu and Wu 6-4 6-2 Fang-hsien on their maiden outing as a doubles partnership on a packed Court could be an all-British affair in the quarter-finals should Britons Burrage and Kartal overcome top seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe on Tuesday. Kartal has enjoyed a remarkable rise in the past 12 months, moving from outside the top 250 to a career-high of 50 in the on by a packed partisan crowd, Kartal dominated the opening set against Kasatkina before the Australian bounced back in the second set to level it was an impressive response from the Briton, who beamed after slamming down a forehand winner to seal victory."The nerves hit me a little but to be able to play on this court with you guys cheering me on it was a super special moment," said Kartal."The last few months I've played bigger tournaments so I'm handling the bigger occasions better. "But I'm going at my own pace in this crazy sport."
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
‘Nervous' Emma Raducanu enjoys win with Katie Boulter in rare doubles outing
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 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.
The Independent
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Andy Murray cements legacy with return to Queen's as tournament writes new chapter
Two weeks on from Rafael Nadal 's triumphant return to Roland-Garros, another grand slam champion returned to the site of his greatest success. Andy Murray 's return to Queen's Club, where he won a record five titles, was much more low-key. There was no emotional speech, just some banter about his growing prowess at golf; a brief knockabout with tournament director and former doubles partner Laura Robson, and two youth ambassadors, 10-year-old Gloria and seven-year-old Jay, instead of a photo opportunity with the rest of the 'Big Four'. 'My tennis is diabolical nowadays,' he joked, 'apologies for what you're about to witness!' 'This tournament and this court has had many special moments for me,' he added. 'It was my most successful event, I always loved coming back. I'm very grateful for whoever it was who decided to name the stadium!' The Scot won his first ATP Tour match here in June 2005, a straight-sets win over Santiago Ventura. And he won his 1,000th ATP match here nearly two decades later, against Alexei Popyrin last year. He was forced to retire with a back injury in the second round against Jordan Thompson, denying him the sendoff he wanted. A year on, he returned to inaugurate the Andy Murray Arena and to kick off the first women's tournament in 52 years, an occasion he described as 'brilliant'. Murray revealed he was coached by the last women's winner at Queen's, 1973 champion Olga Morozova, when he was 12 and 13; the Russian too will be recognised at this week's tournament as it celebrates icons past and present. 'This court has had many great matches on it. I think it's a great chance for the women to showcase themselves out here,' Murray said. Murray's return was about more than honouring his storied history at the tournament; it was about ushering in a new era for it. One of the Scot's most notable off-court qualities has long been his championing of women's tennis, always done in a matter-of-fact, understated way. From being the first top male player to employ a female coach – a choice which sparked derision at the time – to his quick corrections of sexist questions in press conferences and interviews, Murray was a constant champion of parity between the sexes during his lengthy career. He said working with coach Amelie Mauresmo 'opened [his] eyes' to the appalling abuse women in the sport face, with the Frenchwoman slated online after each of his losses. 'Inequality is something I started to see. And become passionate about,' he wrote in a column for L'Equipe in 2015. Things have only worsened since Mauresmo's spell as his coach, with female players routinely subject to a barrage of hideous abuse online after every loss, often from gamblers, and several the victims of harrassment, stalking, and threatening behaviour. Several female players, from Ons Jabeur to Caroline Garcia, have been open about online harassment; Emma Raducanu shared her horrifying ideal being stalked across Asia earlier this year. But in Murray's absence there does not appear to be an equivalent figure on the ATP Tour, someone who will draw attention to issues rather than shying away from them. After being told he was the first person to win two Olympic medals, after defending his London title in Rio, he deadpanned, 'I think Venus and Serena have won about four each'. His response to a journalist saying Sam Querrey, who reached the Wimbledon last four in 2017, was 'the first US player to reach a major semi-final since 2009,' was swift and decisive: first 'male player'. His contributions to the topic were significant in a sport which rarely sees top male players offering their support to their female counterparts, and in which full gender equality remains a long way away. That was only emphasised this past week at the French Open. The annual debate over women being shut out of the primetime night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and exclusively occupying the midday slot of death, reignited this year. But there was no change to the status quo despite the uproar and a defensive press conference called to address the issue. In other avenues progress is being made. The LTA recently announced that women competing at Queens' and Eastbourne would receive the same prize money as the men by 2029, ahead of a WTA target of parity at all tournaments by 2033. The sport has made leaps and bounds in advancing women's tennis, even just over the course of Murray's career – although it has sometimes felt like a case of one step forward, two steps back. Murray's appearance at Queen's was a tribute to the tournament's greatest player, in a week which opens the door to a female player to make history of her own in west London. So it seems fitting that the now-mixed tournament should name its show court after an icon of British tennis and a champion of women's sport, on the day that Queen's takes a major step in the direction of full equality. What better way to advance Murray's legacy?
