Emma Raducanu has reached her first grass-court final after securing two impressive victories in a single day at Queen's Club. The British number one overcame an injury scare in her quarter-final against Kamilla Rakhimova, a match that had been postponed from Friday due to rain. Raducanu triumphed 6-3 7-5 on Andy Murray Arena before returning just over two hours later to defeat American Iva Jovic 6-2 6-2 in front of a supportive home crowd.
Injury Scare Overcome
Raducanu, who has faced numerous injuries since her stunning US Open victory in 2021, was forced to leave the court during her quarter-final after slipping in the second set. She returned with strapping on her thigh and managed to navigate a challenging period to secure the win, later advancing to the semi-finals that afternoon.
Dominant Performance Against Jovic
In her semi-final, Raducanu breezed past Jovic, the sixth seed and a rising American talent. Earlier in the tournament, Raducanu had stunned second seed and compatriot Amanda Anisimova, last year's Wimbledon finalist, as well as Filipino player Alexandra Eala.
Raducanu's season has been hampered by further injuries and a viral illness, causing her to miss several tournaments. Her appearance at Queen's is her first since a first-round defeat at the French Open, where she lost 6-0 7-6(4) to Argentina's Solana Sierra.
Emotional Victory
"It means everything to be doing this here at Queen's," Raducanu said. "The whole day has been electric. This week has been incredible, I really enjoy playing here and that shows in my tennis. Ask any British player and they would love to lift the title here. We've been through some tough moments in the last few months but we have been putting in the hard work and I want to thank my team for helping me get into the final."
All-British Final Hopes Dashed
Hopes of an all-British final were ended earlier on Saturday when Katie Boulter, Raducanu's doubles partner, lost to Croatian Donna Vekic. Vekic, who came through qualifying in west London, has swept aside all opponents en route to the final, dropping only one set. She defeated Boulter 6-1 6-3 in ruthless fashion.
The world number 76, Vekic, will face Raducanu, ranked 42nd, in Sunday's final.
