Emma Raducanu leads British trio into Queen’s Club second round, Barbora Krejcikova crashes out
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Britain's Emma Raducanu celebrates winning her round of 32 match against Spain's Cristina Bucsa.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – Emma Raducanu had a comfortable straight-set win over Spain’s Cristina Bucsa and was one of three Britons to reach the second round of the WTA 500 tournament at Queen’s Club on June 10, while Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova crashed out.
Bucsa had won their only previous meeting in the first round of this year’s Singapore Open, but this time the Spaniard was no match for the 22-year-old wild card and Raducanu strolled to a 6-1, 6-2 win.
“I’m still trying to find my groove on this surface,” Raducanu said of the grass court.
“I knew today would be a very difficult match. I lost to Cristina earlier in the year, so I was trying to make sure that didn’t happen again and fight to get myself into the second round.”
She will now face Rebecca Sramkova after the Slovak caused an upset with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Czech seventh seed Krejcikova, who returned to action only in May after a back injury had kept her out since November.
Top-tier women’s tennis has returned to Queen’s Club for the first time since 1973 and the home crowd had plenty to cheer for, with Katie Boulter and Heather Watson also winning their first-round matches.
“To have the women back here, it feels very special,” said Boulter, the current British No. 1.
“It’s something I’ve dreamt of, actually walking out on this court, after the last couple of years coming as a fan watching the men.”
Boulter beat Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-4 and will face fifth seed Diana Shnaider after the Russian 21-year-old defeated Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-4, 6-1.
Watson defeated Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-3 to earn a second-round clash with another Kazakh, fourth seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
“Very happy to be through here at Queen’s,” Watson said.
“It’s such a great event so far and I’m really enjoying playing here, playing on these courts at this amazing club and staying at home, sleeping in my own bed.”
The other Briton in action, Francesca Jones went down 6-2, 6-4 to American McCartney Kessler who will meet top seed Zheng Qinwen.
As for Krejcikova, her preparations for her Wimbledon title defence suffered a major setback.
The Czech beat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the 2024 Wimbledon final to win her second Grand Slam crown. But the 29-year-old’s hopes of repeating that memorable triumph were rocked by her loss, which extended a disappointing run for Krejcikova since her victory at the All England Club.
She lost in the second round of the recent French Open and missed January’s Australian Open with a back injury that kept her sidelined until May.
Krejcikova, the world No. 17, was also beaten in the US Open second round in the last Grand Slam of 2024. AFP, REUTERS
