Raducanu through at Queen's and will be British number one

Emma Raducanu swept speech Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova to scope nan quarter-finals astatine Queen's and will regain her spot arsenic British number 1 for nan first clip successful 2 years.

The Briton was mostly untroubled against world number 41 Sramkova, winning 6-4 6-1 connected a packed Andy Murray Arena.

The 22-year-old smiled betwixt points aft overcoming a wobble successful nan first group wherever she mislaid 4 games successful a statement while trying to seal nan opener.

Raducanu is nan past Briton opinionated astatine nan first women's tourney astatine Queen's since 1973 aft compatriots Katie Boulter and Heather Watson exited successful nan past 16 earlier connected Thursday.

Watson mislaid 6-4 6-2 to 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, while Boulter fell 2-6 6-3 6-2 to Diana Shnaider and will now relinquish her title arsenic British number one, which she has held since June 2023.

Raducanu, who will look Chinese apical seed Zheng Qinwen next, only had to adjacent Boulter's tally astatine Queen's to overtake her erstwhile nan charismatic rankings are updated connected Monday.

She earned nan position aft winning nan US Open successful 2021 but slipped down nan rankings aft a play of inconsistent shape and wounded struggles successful 2023, erstwhile Boulter replaced her.

The rivalry for apical spot is possibly not each that intense, though, arsenic Raducanu wrote "long unrecorded Boultucanu" - a motion to their doubles business - connected nan camera lens aft her victory, pinch nan brace intelligibly patient friends.

This week, Raducanu has looked relaxed and mostly successful control, coming done some of her matches successful consecutive sets and taking portion successful immoderate doubles action alongside compatriot Boulter for nan first time.

She has quickly made nan westbound London tourney consciousness for illustration location and that was nary different connected Thursday arsenic she took successful nan adulation from nan crowd.

A dream commencement for Raducanu near her serving for nan group astatine 5-0 but what had looked for illustration a stroll successful nan parkland quickly turned uncomfortable arsenic she mislaid nan adjacent 4 games.

Serving for nan group again astatine 5-4 she yet unopen retired pinch a emotion clasp to a immense ovation from nan Queen's crowd, and wearing a somewhat sheepish grin arsenic she walked to her chair.

The 2nd group followed a akin pattern, pinch Raducanu dictating points and earning a triple break of serve.

This clip she did not let Sramkova backmost in, sealing triumph successful style and thanking nan crowd for their "roar of support" successful her on-court interview.

Raducanu has spoken this week astir really she is emotion free to definitive herself connected tribunal and really this makes her much creative.

She has been boosted for nan writer play by nan return of her erstwhile coach Nick Cavaday to her team, to activity alongside Mark Petchey, and has said she is emotion much settled arsenic a result.

That seems to beryllium sparkling done connected nan court, wherever she was besides helped connected juncture by immoderate fortunate nett cords that near Sramkova shaking her caput successful frustration.

"I americium really pleased to get done that," Raducanu said. "I don't deliberation it was my cleanest capacity but I americium really pleased to push done successful nan tight moments. I really admit nan support successful that spell erstwhile she was coming back.

"I came retired ready, expecting everything. I americium conscionable happy I was capable to get disconnected to a bully commencement and build a lead."

Boulter whitethorn person sat astatine nan apical of British women's tennis for 2 years but, pinch Raducanu looking backmost to location adjacent her best, we could spot nan 2 battling for nan apical spot successful British women's tennis connected a regular basis.

Boulter is looking guardant to nan challenge.

"It's going to beryllium nosy for maine to pursuit her now, and I deliberation she's been doing that for a while. Now it's benignant of my turn," she said.

"I'm very happy for her to beryllium British number one."

Boulter, who won nan title successful Nottingham this clip past year, had been trying to scope a seventh quarter-final connected grass.

There were plentifulness of positives to return successful a first group which she said featured "some of nan champion writer tribunal tennis" she has played.

She continually caused problems down her first service - thing she had suggested she would beryllium moving connected successful nan build-up to this lucifer aft struggles earlier this week - and went a double break up connected her measurement to taking nan first set.

But by nan clip nan umpire suspended play because of a downpour, Boulter was down a break astatine 4-1 successful nan 2nd group and successful problem connected service again.

After a 20-minute rainfall delay, she returned to person her service surgery for a 2nd clip and, contempt recovering 1 break, she could not forestall Shnaider from forcing a deciding set.

Boulter erstwhile again came nether unit successful nan opening game, wiping retired 3 break points to unafraid nan clasp arsenic problems connected service returned pinch a vengeance.

She saved much break points successful her adjacent work game, only to double-fault and concede nan break.

From there, Boulter struggled to regroup and went down a double break.

She could not find a measurement backmost arsenic Shnaider group up a gathering pinch American 2nd seed, and Australian Open champion, Madison Keys.