Emma Raducanu Lets Queen’s Club Championship Slip Away

Emma Raducanu’s search for a second WTA Tour-level title will continue after she came up short against Donna Vekić in the HSBC Championships (Queen’s Club Championships) final on Sunday. Vekić defeated Raducanu in straight sets: 6-0, 7-6 (6).

The championship match got off to an inauspicious start when Raducanu not only dropped her first set of the tournament but also failed to win a game. Moreover, Raducanu played well in the first set, but Vekić has blitzed through the event all the way from the qualifiers as the lucky loser.

To her credit, Raducanu fought back in the second set and forced a tiebreak. She took the tape off her left thigh (from an injury sustained yesterday in a slip-and-fall) and battled back. Ultimately, Raducanu ran out of gas against Vekić after three matches in 24 hours.

After picking up two wins yesterday, including an upset over Iva Jovic in the semifinal, it felt like Raducanu was destined to win her second title in front of her home crowd in London. While both players served at a high level, Vekić continuously came through in the clutch. The Croatian broke Raducanu in 5/11 opportunities. Raducanu returned the favor in 2/4 break point chances.

During her runner-up speech, Raducanu praised Vekić for a great week. She also thanked the fans for the tremendous support she received throughout the tournament. “Thanks for getting me through some tough moments this week and also helping me push back in that second set,” Raducanu said.

Vekić also congratulated Raducanu on a strong run and thanked her team. She explained how important the victory on grass was to her, “Growing up and playing on the tour, I was always jealous of the boys having a chance to play on this court in this amazing club. I’m very grateful that since last year we have had an opportunity to play here as well.”

Raducanu is currently the WTA World No. 42 with a singles record of 11-10. Vekić is the World No. 76 with a 25-13 record. Both players will enjoy a boost in the WTA Rankings and be seeded at the Wimbledon Championships later this month. We will wait to see if they play anymore events before Wimbledon.

The grass court season continues with more warm-up tournaments before Wimbledon. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated’s Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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