Emma Raducanu will be back on court for a second time on Saturday after securing her spot in the semi-finals at Queen's Club. The British No. 1 defeated lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3 7-5 in a delayed quarter-final match and is scheduled to return to the Andy Murray Arena in just a few hours to face sixth seed Iva Jovic.
However, Raducanu raised concerns when she slipped on the grass during the second set and required an off-court medical timeout. The 23-year-old emerged with heavy strapping on her left thigh but managed to overcome the setback and clinch the victory.
Delayed Start and Early Struggles
Raducanu and Rakhimova were originally scheduled to play on Friday night, but their match was postponed at around 7:45 PM due to long-running play on the Andy Murray Arena. They finally took to the court at 12:30 PM on Saturday, an hour earlier than the originally scheduled start time, but the stands were packed with fans ready for the schedule change.
Both players struggled with serving to the right of the umpire's chair early on. Raducanu hit three double faults in the first game but saved two break points to hold serve. She then broke Rakhimova's serve in a lengthy game, only for the Uzbekistani to break back immediately, levelling the set at 2-2.
Interruption from Trooping the Colour
An unusual delay occurred when planes returning from Trooping the Colour flew directly over Queen's Club, forcing play to halt. The low-flying aircraft made it impossible to play, and both players waited at the baseline. Raducanu even applauded the planes, and after the Red Arrows passed, she held to love.
The interruption seemed to boost Raducanu, as she broke to love in the next game and swiftly took the opening set. She then broke at the start of the second set, moving closer to the semi-finals.
Injury Scare and Comeback
In the fifth game of the second set, Raducanu slipped on the grass, prompting the umpire to check on her. She quickly got up and continued playing but called the physio at the next changeover and left the court for a medical timeout. She returned with heavy strapping on her left thigh and immediately fell 0-40 down in her next service game. She saved three break points but double-faulted to give Rakhimova another chance, then pushed the ball wide to hand over the break.
Rakhimova reeled off a third consecutive game, taking the lead in the set for the first time. The strapping seemed to bother Raducanu, who removed it during the next changeover. The adjustment worked, and she broke to serve for the match. However, Rakhimova got lucky with a let cord, and her ball dribbled over the net, giving her break points. Raducanu dumped the ball into the net, making it 5-5.
The momentum swung again as Raducanu wore down Rakhimova to set up a break point. She converted with a winner across the court to give herself another chance to serve for the match. It was a struggle again, and on match point, Raducanu missed her first serve before Rakhimova sent a winner into the corner to make it deuce. Another winner saved the second match point, but at the third time of asking, Raducanu finally sealed the victory.
Historic Semi-Final Appearance
As Queen's is a WTA 500 event, this is the biggest semi-final Raducanu has ever reached on grass. Last year, she lost to Qinwen Zheng in the quarter-finals. The world No. 42 will have little time to rest before facing Jovic, who gained confidence on grass after winning the title in Ilkley last year.
It remains to be seen how Raducanu holds up physically after the scare in the middle of the second set.
