Emma Raducanu has commenced her grass-court season with a commanding victory, advancing to the second round of the Queen’s Club tournament. The British player defeated qualifier Anna Blinkova in straight sets, winning 6-0, 6-3. This win marks her first on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz since Indian Wells in March.
Raducanu expressed her satisfaction with her performance, highlighting it as a significant step forward. She noted that she enjoyed her movement and overall presence on the court, aiming to carry this approach into future matches during the grass-court season. The match, which was interrupted by rain, saw Raducanu secure her victory in approximately one hour.
The win comes after a challenging period for Raducanu, who was sidelined for over two months due to a post-viral illness. Her return to competition occurred less than a week before the French Open, where she experienced a straight-sets defeat in the first round. Following her exit from the French Open, Raducanu had a fortnight to train and prepare for the grass-court season.
During her match against Blinkova, Raducanu displayed an offensive style of play, taking the ball early and redirecting it effectively from both wings. She aimed to dominate with her forehand from the baseline, showcasing a clear-minded approach. Despite Blinkova landing a higher percentage of first serves, Raducanu was more effective, winning 72% of those points compared to Blinkova’s 29.6%.
Raducanu also demonstrated efficiency in converting break-point opportunities, securing six out of eight during the match. Her performance in the first set was particularly strong, as she did not drop a game. Even when Blinkova rallied in the second set, Raducanu maintained her composure, breaking serve at 4-3 to close out the match.
Currently ranked No. 42 in the PIF WTA Rankings, Raducanu will now face No. 17 seed Sorana Cirstea in the second round. Cirstea advanced by defeating qualifier Maddison Inglis. Raducanu’s goal will be to reach the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year, building on her previous best grass-court result.
Other British success and withdrawals
In other matches at Queen’s Club, Katie Boulter also progressed to the second round. She overcame the eighth seed, Leylah Fernandez, in a hard-fought match, recovering from a set and a break down to win 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5. Boulter’s victory adds to the positive start for British players at the tournament. She will next compete against Jaqueline Cristian for a spot in the quarter-finals.
However, Jack Draper’s injury issues have persisted, leading to his withdrawal from the men’s Queen’s Club event, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. Draper has not played since sustaining a knee injury two months ago at the start of the clay-court season. This injury followed a serious arm injury he experienced in February.
Draper issued a statement indicating that his recovery is progressing, but he intends to take another week for rehabilitation, aiming to return at Eastbourne. He expressed disappointment at missing one of his preferred events of the year. Meanwhile, Marta Kostyuk, a Roland Garros semifinalist, was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a right ankle injury. She will be replaced by lucky loser Donna Vekic in the draw.
In other first-round action, Filipina Alexandra Eala secured a straight-sets victory over qualifier Shuai Zhang, winning 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour. This sets up a second-round encounter with sixth-seeded Iva Jovic of the United States. Jovic also advanced by defeating qualifier Antonia Ruzic 6-3, 6-4. This upcoming match will be the second time Eala and Jovic have met in their careers, with their previous encounter at Roland Garros last month resulting in a straight-sets win for Jovic.
Raducanu’s strong start at Queen’s Club, coupled with Boulter’s resilient win, provides a positive outlook for British tennis as the grass-court season continues. Raducanu’s next match against Sorana Cirstea will be a key test as she aims to build momentum towards future competitions.
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Source: theguardian.com
