Emma Raducanu: Former US Open champion to return to British No 1 after Katie Boulter bows out of Queen’s Club | Tennis News

Emma Raducanu will become British No 1 on Monday after Katie Boulter bowed out at Queen’s with a 2-6 6-3 6-2 second-round defeat to Russian fifth-seed Diana Shnaider.

Boulter, who replaced 2021 US Open winner Raducanu in the top spot exactly two years ago, looked sharp in her first set, saving two break points, breaking the Russian’s serve twice, and hitting 10 winners.

“I absolutely loved my time here,’ Boulter said after the match. “Obviously, as a British player, I always take these losses a lot harder than most of the other ones. I want to do well here. I wish I could have been here longer. But at the same time, I am very well aware that a lot of tournaments are based on draws and matchups and who you play and who you don’t.

“Tennis is a funny one,’ Boulter added. “Some people lose 250 points one week, some people lose zero, some people lose 100. It’s something that happens every single week.

“I’m very well aware that I lost 250 this week, because Nottingham is next week and the scheduling’s been different. Of course I personally want to be getting my ranking moving in the right direction.

“I’m very happy for her to be British No 1. But at the same time, 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.”

The first-serve issues that had plagued Boulter in her gritty victory over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday also looked to have largely been resolved after she landed close to 75 per cent in the opening set.

They returned at the start of Boulter’s first service game in the second, when she twice double-faulted to allow Shnaider to find her way back from 40-0 down and break the Briton’s serve, and did so again after a 15-minute rain delay in the sixth game to take a 5-1 advantage.

Boulter broke straight back and saved a set point to hold the next game, but could not claw her way to a comeback as Shnaider forced the deciding set.

It began with another Boulter double-fault, but the Briton was able to claw her way back from 40-0 down to hold.

Two more double-faults in the third game – Boulter ultimately tallied a total of nine in the match – opened the door for Shnaider to break Boulter’s serve, doing so again in the seventh to set herself up to serve for the set and seal her place in the quarter-finals.

Shnaider begged the British crowd for forgiveness after knocking out the home favourite at the Andy Murray Arena.

“I definitely want to first apologise to the crowd,” the 21-year-old said on court. “I mean, Katie is such a lovely person, I love her with all my heart, so to play her and beat her in front of a home crowd I feel so sorry, but I hope you’re not going to hate me too much and come support me tomorrow.”

Wimbledon to beef up security

Wimbledon will step up security this summer after Raducanu’s stalking ordeal in Dubai where she received unwanted attention from a “fixated” man both before and during a match against Karolina Muchova.

The Briton admitted this week that she is still “wary” when she goes out with the All-England Club stating that the safety of players is “our absolute priority” and will put in place “measures that are reflective of the threat”.

Speaking at today’s spring conference, chief executive Sally Bolton said: “The safety and wellbeing of all of the players is our absolute top priority. I think the recent incidents coming to light certainly recognise the concern generated by that. But we have in place – and have had for many years – processes for ensuring the safety of our players.

“And that is in liaison with law enforcement agencies, specialist security teams and we liaise with both tours. And that is year round not just in preparation for The Championships. And it is a bit like the broader security for the grounds.

“We are putting in place measures that are reflective of the threat and risk profile at the time. It is absolutely a top priority for us.

“We probably wouldn’t at this point comment on any details in respect of any individual athlete but that intelligence is being gathered working with those other parties throughout the year to make sure we have got the right measures in place come The Championships.”

Reflecting on what she went through in Dubai, Raducanu told the BBC: “I’ve definitely noticed a difference in how people are watching my back when I’m on the site.

“I’m obviously wary when I go out. I try not to be careless about it because you only realise how much of a problem it is when you’re in that situation and I don’t necessarily want to be in that situation again.

“But off the court right now, I feel good. I feel pretty settled. I feel like I have good people around me and anything that was kind of negative I’m just like trying to brush it off as much as I can.”

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