Raducanu cruises in Queen's return, first win since
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Emma Raducanu dismantled Anna Blinkova 6-0 6-3 in the Queen's first round, winning the opening eight games without reply and converting her second match point with a backhand winner down the line.
- Raducanu had been off the WTA Tour for more than two months with a post-viral illness and lost both her clay-court matches on return — in Strasbourg and at the French Open — before this grass-court turnaround.
- Raducanu said she felt "a lot of clarity" and "free" on court, credited the home crowd for lifting her energy, and wrote "back home" with a heart on the TV camera lens as she exited.
- Katie Boulter rallied from a set and a break down to beat eighth seed Leylah Fernandez 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 in a match that spilled across two days after Monday's rain, saying it was "really hard to sleep at night when you're in the middle of a match."
- Boulter and Raducanu are scheduled to play doubles together on Tuesday, reprising the fan-favourite "Boultercanu" pairing from Queen's last year.
- Harriet Dart completed one of only three matches on Monday, beating Liudmila Samsonova 5-7 6-4 6-3, while Jack Draper delayed his comeback and missed Queen's entirely.
Why it matters: Raducanu's first win since 6 March — a 6-0 6-3 demolition after two months out with post-viral illness — gives her a concrete grass-court baseline heading into Wimbledon, and the emotional lift she described is a meaningful contrast to the flat, low-energy displays in Strasbourg and at Roland Garros. With five British women in the main draw and four of them through or competing, Queen's is functioning as a genuine Wimbledon prep checkpoint for the home cohort.
Ask SkimNews
