Emma Raducanu said her strong start to the grass-court season could set the tone for the next month after she opened her Queen’s Club campaign with a dominant 6-0, 6-3 win over qualifier Anna Blinkova. The British No 1 said the performance was important not only for the result, but also for the way she felt on court, describing it as a positive “stepping stone” that she wants to carry into the rest of the grass season. Raducanu said she enjoyed how she moved, expressed herself and competed overall, and hopes to build on that attitude in upcoming matches.
The world No 42 was playing for the first time since her straight-sets defeat to Solana Sierra in the first round of the French Open two weeks earlier. Her season has been disrupted by injury and illness, including more than two months out with a post-viral condition. She returned to action only a few days before Roland Garros and later admitted the mental strain of dealing with repeated physical setbacks in her young career. After a fortnight of training and preparation on grass, however, she looked far more settled at Queen’s Club.
Raducanu produced a confident and aggressive display, taking the ball early and using her forehand to control rallies from inside the baseline. She said the work she and her team have been putting in over recent weeks is beginning to show, even if the benefits have taken time to emerge. While she acknowledged there is still more to do, she said her focus is on enjoying the process, maintaining a strong attitude and continuing to show commitment in every match and training session.
Katie Boulter also moved into the second round in the women’s event after a hard-fought comeback against Leylah Fernandez. Boulter recovered from a set and a break down at 3-6, 3-4 to beat the eighth seed 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in an impressive turnaround.
Elsewhere, Jack Draper’s injury problems continued as he withdrew from the men’s Queen’s Club tournament, which starts on Monday. The 24-year-old has not played since suffering a knee injury two months ago at the beginning of the clay-court season, following his return from a serious arm injury in February. Draper said his recovery was heading in the right direction, but he would give himself another week before trying to return at Eastbourne. He said it was very difficult to miss one of his favourite events of the year.
