RADUCANU BEATS BLINKOVA IN STRAIGHT SETS AT QUEEN'S

Emma Raducanu opened her grass-court season with a 6-0 6-3 victory over Anna Blinkova at Queen's Club in London. Raducanu won the first eight games without reply before seeing out the match in straight sets. The result marked her first victory since 6 March, when she defeated Anastasia Zakharova in the first round at Indian Wells. Rain interrupted play during the match but did not disrupt Raducanu's overall performance.

Raducanu had been absent from the WTA Tour for more than two months due to a post-viral illness. On her return to the circuit, she lost both her clay-court matches, at Strasbourg and at Roland Garros. In the opening set at Queen's, she won 25 of the 31 points played, hitting 11 winners and committing just two unforced errors. She broke serve to lead in the second set but double-faults allowed Blinkova to level at 3-3 before Raducanu broke again to close out the match.

Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, reached the quarter-finals at Queen's last year. She told the crowd on Andy Murray Arena that she was grateful for the home support and described the atmosphere as something she thrives on rather than finds pressurising. The victory gives her a winning start as she builds towards Wimbledon. Her next match at Queen's is yet to be confirmed.