Emma Raducanu celebrated returning to British No 1 on Monday by racing into the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club with a 6-4 6-1 win against Rebecca Sramkova.
Raducanu, who will take over top spot after doubles partner Katie Boulter bowed out of the tournament earlier on Thursday, secured her 11th WTA Tour quarter-final after she defeated world No 41 Sramkova in one hour and 17 minutes and could face top seed Qinwen Zheng next.
The 22-year-old is also closing in on a Wimbledon seeding [live ranking 36]. A couple more wins this week or in Berlin next week would assure her of of top 32 spot ahead of her home Grand Slam.
Asked about becoming British No 1 again, Raducanu said: “I wouldn’t say it’s the most important thing for me. I think having Katie in front, it was nice for me to have something to chase. Now I’m sure she’s going to enjoy that with me. The grass season is still young, and so is the rest of the season.
“But regardless, we have a healthy competition between us two. I want to see her do well; she wants to see me do well.”
While she has played down her expectations ahead of this week – pointing to her ongoing back issues – Raducanu looked to be cruising after claiming her first break in the opening game before winning the following four but Sramkova saved two set points in the sixth game, finding her range in a comeback that quickly gathered pace.
The Slovakian won four games on the trot as Raducanu’s winners dried up but the Briton then recovered and served to love to seal the opening set, flashing a sheepish smile at her team as she walked back to her seat.
It was a similar story in the second as Raducanu swiftly sealed a double break then made it 4-0 after she quickly consolidated a double break when Sramkova made a slew of errors.
And while she could not close out the match at the first time of asking, Raducanu would not be denied again as she punched her ticket to the last eight with another break, confirming her status as the British No 1 again.
Boulter exits Queen’s Club
Raducanu (right) will replace Katie Boulter as British No 1 on Monday
Boulter suffered a 2-6 6-3 6-2 second-round defeat to Russian fifth-seed Diana Shnaider.
Boulter, who replaced 2021 US Open winner Raducanu in the top spot exactly two years ago, looked sharp in her first set, saving two break points, breaking the Russian’s serve twice, and hitting 10 winners.
“I absolutely loved my time here,’ Boulter said after the match. “Obviously, as a British player, I always take these losses a lot harder than most of the other ones. I want to do well here. I wish I could have been here longer. But at the same time, I am very well aware that a lot of tournaments are based on draws and matchups and who you play and who you don’t.
“Tennis is a funny one,’ Boulter added. “Some people lose 250 points one week, some people lose zero, some people lose 100. It’s something that happens every single week.
“I’m very well aware that I lost 250 this week, because Nottingham is next week and the scheduling’s been different. Of course I personally want to be getting my ranking moving in the right direction.
“I’m very happy for her to be British No 1. But at the same time, it’s going to be fun for me to chase her now, and I think she’s been doing that for a while. Now it’s kind of my turn.”
The first-serve issues that had plagued Boulter in her gritty victory over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday also looked to have largely been resolved after she landed close to 75 per cent in the opening set.
They returned at the start of Boulter’s first service game in the second, when she twice double-faulted to allow Shnaider to find her way back from 40-0 down and break the Briton’s serve, and did so again after a 15-minute rain delay in the sixth game to take a 5-1 advantage.
Boulter broke straight back and saved a set point to hold the next game, but could not claw her way to a comeback as Shnaider forced the deciding set.
It began with another Boulter double-fault, but the Briton was able to claw her way back from 40-0 down to hold.
Two more double-faults in the third game – Boulter ultimately tallied a total of nine in the match – opened the door for Shnaider to break Boulter’s serve, doing so again in the seventh to set herself up to serve for the set and seal her place in the quarter-finals.
Shnaider begged the British crowd for forgiveness after knocking out the home favourite at the Andy Murray Arena.
“I definitely want to first apologise to the crowd,” the 21-year-old said on court. “I mean, Katie is such a lovely person, I love her with all my heart, so to play her and beat her in front of a home crowd I feel so sorry, but I hope you’re not going to hate me too much and come support me tomorrow.”
Compatriot Heather Watson also bowed out in the last-16 after she was beaten 6-4 6-2 by former Wimbledon champion and fourth seed Elena Rybakina.
Wimbledon to beef up security
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Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis at Indian Wells, Raducanu said she wasn’t sure if she’d compete ‘so soon’ after her stalker ordeal
Wimbledon will step up security this summer after Raducanu’s stalking ordeal in Dubai where she received unwanted attention from a “fixated” man both before and during a match against Karolina Muchova.
The Briton admitted this week that she is still “wary” when she goes out with the All-England Club stating that the safety of players is “our absolute priority” and will put in place “measures that are reflective of the threat”.
Speaking at today’s spring conference, All-England Club chief executive Sally Bolton said: “The safety and wellbeing of all of the players is our absolute top priority. I think the recent incidents coming to light certainly recognise the concern generated by that. But we have in place – and have had for many years – processes for ensuring the safety of our players.
“And that is in liaison with law enforcement agencies, specialist security teams and we liaise with both tours. And that is year round not just in preparation for The Championships. And it is a bit like the broader security for the grounds.
“We are putting in place measures that are reflective of the threat and risk profile at the time. It is absolutely a top priority for us.
“We probably wouldn’t at this point comment on any details in respect of any individual athlete but that intelligence is being gathered working with those other parties throughout the year to make sure we have got the right measures in place come The Championships.”
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Raducanu was left in tears as a man was ejected from the stands during the tournament in Dubai
“I think feeling safe, feeling secure is extremely important. I think playing at home, there is heightened tension,” said Raducanu. “But for me, whenever I played at Wimbledon, I felt very well protected, very safe. I’m looking forward to going there, and I don’t think I will feel much of a difference.”
Boulter said: “I think that’s a really good thing. I think they’ve obviously noticed there has been a few issues with it and they are reacting to it, which is really good to see.
“It’s really good to see them putting emphasis on it and making the players seem very comfortable, and I think that’s so important.”
Reflecting on what she went through in Dubai, Raducanu told the BBC: “I’ve definitely noticed a difference in how people are watching my back when I’m on the site.
“I’m obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you’re in that situation and I don’t necessarily want to be in that situation again.
“But off the court right now, I feel good. I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was kind of negative I’m just like trying to brush it off as much as I can.”
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