Emma Raducanu is into the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships, but will need to win two matches in one day if she is to reach the final.
Picking up her biggest win in over a year, Raducanu defeated Sorana Cirstea in the second round, setting up a quarter-final tie with Kamilla Rakhimova.
Raducanu and Rakhimova were scheduled last on Andy Murray Arena, and expected to play their match on Friday evening after rain washed out Thursday’s action at Queen’s.
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However, as Elena Rybakina and Katie Boulter’s quarter-final reached a deciding set, Raducanu and Rakhimova were told their match had been cancelled for the day…
Emma Raducanu’s chances of winning Queen’s take hit due to decision made by tournament organisers
Not only will Raducanu need to win two matches on Saturday to reach Sunday’s final, but she also spent most of Friday waiting around to see if she would be required to play.
Queen’s missed two opportunities to help, or at least not hinder, the biggest name in British tennis.
First, they could have told Raducanu and Rakhimova that their match wouldn’t be played far earlier than they did.
But secondly, and more importantly, they could have moved the Briton to play her match on Court One.
Their insistence on having Raducanu play on the Centre Court (Andy Murray Arena) has made her assault on a first title since her US Open triumph even more difficult.
So why did Queen’s refuse to let Raducanu play her quarter-final on Court One?
As reported by ‘The Guardian‘, Queen’s are only allowed to broadcast matches played on Centre Court.
Tournament organisers held out hope that Raducanu and Rakhimova would have time to play after Boulter and Rybakina, but that was highly unrealistic, given the latter match started around 6 pm.
There is no way around it; those broadcasting rights have hindered Raducanu’s chances of winning the tournament.
On Saturday, Raducanu will need to beat Rakhimova and a well-rested Iva Jovic if she is to reach the final.
For all the pre-tournament talk about prioritising British talent and giving them opportunities in front of their home crowd, the decision-making since rain caused havoc at Queen’s seems bizarre, to say the least.
While Raducanu can’t blame the tournament organisers if she fails to take the title, she would certainly have a reason to be annoyed.
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With Jovic waiting for Raducanu in the semis, the 23-year-old will need to be at her very best if she is to reach the final.
But in fairness, Raducanu was pretty close to that level during her second-round match.
The Briton defeated a top-20 player for the first time since last year’s Internationaux de Strasbourg, as she got revenge on Cirstea, following their Transylvania Open final clash in February.
Emma Raducanu and Sorana Cirstea’s last two matches
- Transylvania Open final – Sorana Cirstea defeated Emma Raducanu, 6-0, 6-2
- Queen’s second round – Emma Raducanu defeated Sorana Cirstea, 6-4, 6-2
Raducanu was excellent, playing as well as she has all year.
Even if Queen’s doesn’t pan out the way she and her fans hope, there are plenty of positives to take from the event as we look ahead to the remainder of the grass-court season.
Wimbledon is the biggest event on Raducanu’s calendar, and judging by her performances at Queen’s so far, she might be one to watch.
She won’t want to get ahead of herself thinking about Wimbledon just yet, though, as she has plenty of work to do before then.
Raducanu will take on Rakhimova in the quarter-finals of the Queen’s Club Championships on Saturday, June 13, with Jovic waiting for her in the semis later in the day.
The winner of Raducanu/Rakhimova vs Jovic will take on Donna Vekic or Boulter in Sunday’s final.
