Emma Raducanu has secured a spot in her third career final, achieving the feat on home soil at Queen's. The British No.1 defeated sixth seed Iva Jovic 6-2 6-2 in a dominant semi-final performance.
Double Duty at Queen's
Raducanu was forced to play both her quarter-final and semi-final on Saturday after her quarter-final was postponed on Friday evening due to lengthy matches. The 2021 US Open champion first overcame Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3 7-5 earlier in the day, despite a mid-match slip that required a medical timeout for her left thigh.
Returning to court less than three hours later with fresh strapping, Raducanu showed no signs of discomfort. She raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set, breaking Jovic's serve with a series of winners.
Jovic's Struggles
Jovic, who had beaten last year's runner-up Amanda Anisimova in three sets on Friday, appeared fatigued after also playing a doubles match that evening. The 18-year-old American received a medical timeout for her foot while trailing 1-4 but could not halt Raducanu's momentum.
Raducanu clinched the first set in 43 minutes and broke early in the second. Although Jovic briefly fought back, breaking to love, Raducanu immediately regained the advantage and sealed victory after saving three break points.
Final Showdown
Raducanu will face lucky loser Donna Vekic in the final. Vekic, an Olympic silver medallist, lost in qualifying to Anna Blinkova but entered the main draw after Marta Kostyuk withdrew. The Croatian defeated Katie Boulter 6-1 6-3 in the earlier semi-final.
This marks Raducanu's first final on home soil and her second of the season, having reached the final in Stuttgart earlier this year.
