Emma Raducanu powered past Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova to book her place in the quarter-finals at Queen’s and reclaim the British number one ranking for the first time in two years.
The 22-year-old faced few obstacles in her 6-4 6-1 victory over world number 41 Sramkova on a packed Andy Murray Arena.
Despite a brief stumble where she dropped four consecutive games while attempting to close out the first set, Raducanu maintained her composure, smiling between points and eventually sealing the set with a confident love hold.
Raducanu remains the last British contender standing at Queen’s, which is hosting its first women’s tournament since 1973.
Earlier in the day, compatriots Katie Boulter and Heather Watson were eliminated in the last 16.
Watson fell 6-4 6-2 to 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, while Boulter lost 2-6 6-3 6-2 to Diana Shnaider, ending her 12-month reign as British number one.
By matching Boulter’s last-16 finish, Raducanu ensured she would surpass her in the updated rankings on Monday.
Raducanu initially reached the top spot after her remarkable 2021 US Open triumph but slipped down the rankings following a stretch of inconsistent performances and injury troubles, during which Boulter took over as British number one.
Despite the rankings rivalry, the two remain close friends. After her win, Raducanu playfully wrote “long live Boultucanu” — a nod to their doubles partnership — on a courtside camera lens.
Raducanu Finds Form on Home Soil
Raducanu has appeared relaxed and confident throughout the tournament, winning both of her singles matches in straight sets and even competing alongside Boulter in doubles.
She has quickly settled into the west London event, feeding off the enthusiastic home crowd.
In Thursday’s match, Raducanu raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, only for Sramkova to mount a brief comeback.
However, Raducanu steadied herself to close out the set at 5-4 before dominating the second set, breaking Sramkova’s serve three times and sealing victory emphatically.
Speaking after the match, Raducanu acknowledged the brief wobble but was pleased with her resilience:
“I am really pleased to get through that. I don’t think it was my cleanest performance but I was happy to push through in the tight moments. I really appreciate the support from the crowd during that spell.”
Raducanu also credited her coaching team for her renewed confidence, having reunited with former coach Nick Cavaday and added Mark Petchey to her camp.
She has spoken about feeling freer and more creative on court, and that newfound ease has translated into her performances.
Occasional good fortune helped too, with a few fortuitous net cords frustrating Sramkova at key moments.
Next, Raducanu faces a tough test against Chinese top seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals.
Boulter: ‘Now it’s my turn to chase her’
Despite losing her British number one status, Boulter remains upbeat and excited about the friendly competition with Raducanu.
“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,” she said. “I’m very happy for her to be British number one.”
Boulter had been aiming for a seventh career quarter-final on grass, a surface where she has previously enjoyed strong results, including winning in Nottingham last year.
She showed flashes of her best grass-court form in the opening set against Shnaider, going up a double break and capturing the first set.
However, momentum shifted after a rain delay midway through the second set. Returning from the break trailing 4-1, Boulter struggled to recover.
Despite saving several break points, service struggles plagued her in the deciding set as Shnaider capitalized to secure the win and set up a clash with American second seed Madison Keys.
