Donna Vekic has finally secured her place in the Queen's quarter-finals after a marathon match that spanned approximately 42 hours. The Croatian, who entered the draw as a lucky loser, overcame Marie Bouzkova in a rain-affected contest that was suspended on Wednesday evening and finally concluded on Friday morning.
Weather Wreaks Havoc on Schedule
The HSBC Championships, a WTA 500 event, has been plagued by persistent rain throughout the week, causing numerous delays and cancellations. When play was halted on Wednesday night, Vekic led Bouzkova 6-5 in the first set. The entire Thursday was a washout, with no points played across the grounds.
Resumption on Court 5
Vekic and Bouzkova finally returned to action on Friday, this time on the smaller Court 5, around 11am. After an extended break, both players showed determination, with neither willing to concede early.
Bouzkova held serve to force a tiebreak, which turned into a dramatic affair. Momentum swung repeatedly as both struggled to hold serve. Vekic held four set points at 6-2 but failed to convert them. Bouzkova then had a set point but also could not take it. Vekic eventually clinched the tiebreak 11-9 on her seventh set point.
The Olympic silver medallist carried that momentum into the second set, breaking Bouzkova immediately to lead 1-0. She later failed to convert three more break points but held a tight service game to lead 4-2. Vekic will now face a quarter-final opponent as she continues her unlikely run at Queen's.
