Raducanu's Double Triumph
Emma Raducanu Claims Two Victories in One Day to Advance to London Finals
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Emma Raducanu won two matches in a single day to reach her first professional final on home soil at the HSBC Championships in London. The former U.S. Open champion defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals, then came back hours later to beat No. 6 seed Iva Jovic 6-2, 6-2 to book her spot in Sunday's final, according to LTA.
She will face Croatian Donna Vekic in the final — the two have never played each other before. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, world No. 484 Robin Montgomery reached her first-ever WTA final at the 's-Hertogenbosch event, per Flashscore.
Raducanu Battles Through Injury and Rain Delays
Saturday's schedule at Queen's Club was compressed after rain delays pushed multiple matches into one day. Raducanu's quarterfinal against Rakhimova was far from easy. Leading 6-3, 3-1, she slipped on the wet grass and clutched her left thigh. She left for a medical timeout and returned with heavy strapping on the leg, according to LTA.
She still closed out Rakhimova 6-3, 7-5. Then, less than two hours later, she was back on court against 18-year-old Jovic — ranked world No. 19. Raducanu dropped just four games, winning in 1 hour and 31 minutes. She has not dropped a single set all week, per LTA.
Raducanu: 'The Support Today Was Electric'
After the win, Raducanu spoke about what it means to reach a final in front of a home crowd. "It means everything to be doing it here at Queen's," she said. "The support today was electric. This week has been incredible. I've really enjoyed playing here, and it really shows in my tennis," per LTA.
The 2026 grass season marks a fresh start for Raducanu. She reunited with Andrew Richardson — the coach who guided her to the 2021 U.S. Open title — and signed a new deal with Uniqlo. She is currently ranked No. 42. Reaching the final is expected to move her back into the top 30-35, boosting her seeding at Wimbledon, according to Just Women's Sports.
Vekic Dismantles Boulter as a Lucky Loser
Raducanu's final opponent, Donna Vekic, did not even qualify for the main draw. She entered as a "lucky loser" — a player granted entry after a main-draw withdrawal — after losing in qualifying to Anna Blinkova, per beIN SPORTS. The Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist then made the most of her chance, crushing British No. 1 Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-3 in just 66 minutes.
Vekic won 92% of her first-serve points against Boulter — 23 of 25. "I've been improving with each match," she said after the win. "I love this surface, I love this city," per Olympics.com. It will be her first meeting against Raducanu at any level.
World No. 484 Montgomery Makes History in Netherlands
Across the Channel, Robin Montgomery pulled off one of the year's biggest surprises. The 21-year-old American, ranked No. 484 in the world, beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-2 to reach her first WTA final in 's-Hertogenbosch. She served 11 aces in the match, per Flashscore.
Montgomery is returning from a severe wrist injury that kept her off the tour for nine months, according to Puntodebreak. She is the third-lowest ranked player to reach a WTA final since the tier format began in 1990. Regardless of Sunday's result, she is projected to jump from No. 484 to around No. 240 in the world rankings.
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