Emma Raducanu crashes out of Queen’s in quarter-finals

Emma Raducanu’s promising run at Queen’s Club was halted by Qinwen Zheng, who survived a second set wobble to progress to the semi-finals.

In an eventful contest which was peppered with enforced breaks - Zheng swapped her footwear and twice changed rackets - the Chinese top seed prevailed in a 6-2 6-4 victory.

Raducanu was always the underdog against last year’s gold medallist at the Paris Olympics and she struggled to match Zheng’s venomous ball striking early on.

The Briton called the physio after the first set and was seen conducting some leg exercises on court, before briefly exiting the arena. It proved to be a valuable reset. Raducanu went a double break up when play resumed as Zheng’s serve deserted her, which prompted the first of two racket changes.

Even despite the unexpected pauses in play, Raducanu remained resolute as a gentle breeze crept up around the Andy Murray Arena, before Zheng mounted an impressive fightback.

Refinding her serve, which hit speeds of 113mph, the Chinese top seed began to take control from the back of the court and clawed back the double break deficit, as Zheng rediscovered her groove to close out the contest.

Raducanu will at least take solace in dethroning Katie Boulter for the coveted spot as British number one for her efforts at Queens. She will continue  tuning her grass-court game at the Berlin Open next week, where she will join a star-studded line-up by virtue of a wildcard, with nine of the world’s top 10 players confirmed to play in the German capital.

06:37 PM BST

Decent showing from Raducanu

Raducanu put on a much-improved performance in the second set, racing into a 4-1 lead with some confident tennis, strong serving and the awareness to take advantage of a sudden dip from Zheng, whose first serve completely deserted her.

But the world No 5 rediscovered her rhythm and when her serve got going the British No 1, who may have been struggling with an injury, struggled to live with it.

Raducanu showed great character to come back from 0-40 down in the final game and survive three match points with some bold serving but in the end Zheng’s quality came through.

06:28 PM BST

Zheng 6-2, 6-4 Raducanu*

That’s a great return from Zheng. 0-15.

And Raducanu this time goes long. 0-30. A bad time to have two poor points.

A limp two serves, and that’s a double-fault. Three match points. Oh dear.

She saves the first one with a blistering serve that Zheng spoons into the crowd.

A big second serve and Zheng makes another unforced error. Two match points saved.

And Zheng nets! Three match points saved. 40-40.

Raducanu telegraphs a drop shot and can’t get Zheng’s forehand back. Avantage Zheng. Match point No 4.

Zheng hits a solid return and Raducanu goes long.

Zheng breaks serve.

Zheng wins the match.

06:22 PM BST

Zheng* 6-2, 5-4 Raducanu

Booming serve from Zheng. 15-0.

That’s a brilliant forehand winner from the Chinese player, fading cross-court into the corner. 30-0.

And another ‘wow’ moment as Zheng sends another sensational backhand down the line. Showing her quality in the big points. It is now 40-0.

Raducanu hangs in the point again and Zheng goes long. 40-15.

Raducanu tries to lob Zheng who is turning up the power on her serve and ground-strokes and her smash nearly misses, but hits the line. And now Raducanu is serving to stay in the match.

Zheng holds serve.

06:18 PM BST

Zheng 6-2, 4-4 Raducanu*

This is a brilliant test for Raducanu, who just needs to hold her nerve - and her serve. Easier said than done, clearly.

Zheng hits a big return and then smokes a winner into the corner. 0-15.

Another deep return and Raducanu can’t move her feet in time to steer her effort in play. 0-30.

Good serve. Zheng goes wide. 15-30.

Raducanu is now struggling with her ball toss with the weather getting gusty.

Raducanu keeps calm despite the second serve and batters a forehand so deep all Zheng can do is shank a forehand long. 30-all.

Good return Zheng. 30-40. Big point. Break point. 

Double-fault! That could prove fatal. She was a double-break up and now it’s all-square.

Zheng breaks serve.

06:12 PM BST

Zheng* 6-2, 3-4 Raducanu

What a superb rally. Long, full of deep hitting and thoroughly exhausting. But Raducanu wins it with a glorious passing shot down the line. Surely the longest, and best, rally of the match so far.

Ace Zheng. 15-all.

Zheng leathers a serve and then an approach shop very deep indeed. She smashes her way to 30-15.

The serve is well and truly back. 113 mph on that one. 40-15.

Zheng has Raducanu on the back foot with another Big Bertha of a serve and finishes with another powerful smash.

Zheng holds serve.

06:08 PM BST

Zheng 6-2, 2-4 Raducanu*

Zheng is delaying play again. This time her shock absorber has come off her racquet and needs replacing.

The delay worked as Raducanu nets with her first serve. But she accelerates into the second one and it arcs away from Zheng for 15-0.

Raducanu battles hard to defend against Zheng’s hard hitting and crucially keeps her ground strokes deep, forcing Zheng into a mistake. 30-0.

That’s a superb serve. 40-0.

Raducanu follows up her serve by wrong-footing Zheng with a cross-court forehand. Cool as you like!

Raducanu holds serve.

06:03 PM BST

Zheng* 6-2, 2-3 Raducanu

A cracking winner by Raducanu brings up 0-15 but a booming Zheng serve levels it up. 15-15.

Raducanu hits a good return and Zheng attempts a cross-court winner but sends her forehand into the tramlines. 15-30.

Raducanu is returning a lot better and gets Zheng scampering to the net with a vicious slice. But Raducanu is hoisted by her own petard as she nets with an open court at her mercy.

Zheng nets and it; another break point. But she follows up a big serve to bury a smash for deuce.

Good hitting from Zheng, who is finding her rhythm again, and dispatches a lovely forehand into the corner on Raducanu’s backhand side. Advantage Zheng.

A great return down the line from Raducanu, who clips the net with her winner to send hearts aflutter at Queen’s. Deuce.

Zheng is rediscovering her serve again now. Advantage Zheng.

Raducanu gets her racquet on the next serve but the ball doesn’t quite make it over the net.

The world No 5 is battling back.

Zheng holds serve.

You can feel the tension around the Andy Murray Arena. They’re loving Raducanu’s more enterprising play and want more. Zheng’s game in this set has been peppered with errors and it’s all gone a bit awry for the Chinese top seed and she’s lost the fluidity she showcased earlier on.

05:56 PM BST

Zheng 6-2, 1-3* Raducanu

A good return from Zheng brings up 0-15.

Double-fault Raducanu. 0-30.

Zheng can barely get her racquet head to that one as the ball heads for Court No 5. 15-30.

Messy, tense point there with some ill-executed drop shots and lobs but Zheng finishes at the net for 15-40. Two break points for Zheng.

A wild return of serve is well wide. 30-40.

Raducanu nets and Zheng gets a break back.

Zheng breaks serve.

05:51 PM BST

Zheng* 6-2, 0-3 Raducanu

A rare, single-handed back-hand winner from Raducanu and it’s 0-15.

And now Zheng is changing her racquet much to the chagrin of the crowd, who did not take kindly to her mid-game shoe-changing antics in the first set, which prompted a break of the Raducanu serve.

Undeterred Raducanu fires off a blistering forehand and she means business now. 15-30.

She is pressurising the Zeng serve and wallops another ferocious return for 15-40. Two break points.

Good serve from Zheng, 30-40.

Raducanu shows great defence and then pins Zheng back behind the baseline. The flustered Chinese nets and the crowd erupts!

How has Raducanu turned this around? It’s brilliant to see.

Raducanu breaks serve.

Raducanu looks to be moving relatively well after leaving the court with the medic. Zheng’s level, by contrast, has massively dipped. Her serve has totally deserted her and she’s struggling with her ball toss. She’s already changed her shoes and now Zheng has changed her racket, to the bemusement of the crowd.

05:46 PM BST

Zheng 6-2, 0-2* Raducanu

Zheng sends back the serve with interest for 0-15 but the Briton melts two fierce first serves past her nose for 30-15.

Ace. 40-15.

And a sumptuous drop shot has Zheng all at sea.

In the space of five minutes the match has taken on an entirely different complexion.

Raducanu holds serve.

05:44 PM BST

Zheng* 6-2, 0-1 Raducanu

Zheng starts with another howitzer of a serve for 15-love.

Raducanu responds with a ferocious return. 15-all.

Raducanu can’t stay in the next point, sending a crosscourt backhand into the tramlines.

She looks over to her corner for some help. Hang in there, Emma!

Another meaty serve brings up 40-15.

A lovely attempt at a crosscourt backhand winner from Zheng is a fraction wide. 40-30.

Well done Raducanu. A brilliant winner down the line and it’s deuce.

This time, though, she goes long. Advantage Zheng.

Superb return of Zheng’s weak second serve by the British No 1 and it’s deuce.

Zheng is a superb technician and she batters a forehand deep into the corner for Advantage.

Take that! Raducanu gets the crowd on their feet with a monster return. Deuce.

That’s another punishing return on the Zheng second serve and Raducanu has break point.

And Raducanu has her break! That’s great determination by Raducanu to hang tough. Zheg’s serve suddenly deserted her and Raducanu took full advantage.

Raducanu breaks serve.

05:35 PM BST

Raducanu injury scare

Emma Raducanu has had to leave the court with a physio.

She called a medic over at the end of the set and performed some leg stretches.

Let’s hope it’s nothing major. She has suffered from back spasms this year.

The British No 1 is back.

05:28 PM BST

Zheng 6 Raducanu* 2

A fine return by Zheng for 0-15.

Raducanu hammers a serve down the line and it’s 15-all.

Zheng batters a return down the line to punish a decent second serve from the Briton.

Zheng puts too much mustard on the next one, though. 30-all.

Zheng hits a hard, flat return and Raducanu can’t sort her feet out in time, sending her attempt long. 30-40

Raducanu decides to chop it up and tries the drop-shot. She anticipates Zheng’s return, Zheng slips over, there’s an empty court begging to be hit – but Raducanu nets! Oh Emma!

What a way to lose the set!

Zheng breaks serve.

Zheng wins first set.

05:22 PM BST

Zheng* 5 Raducanu 2

A clean winner from Raducanu earns 0-15 but she goes long for 15-15.

Zheng really does have quite the serve. But she misses with her second serve for another double-fault.

Sensational tennis from Raducanu who shows brilliant defence and then shows extraordinary speed to advance to the net and flat-foot her opponent, 15-40 . Two break points.

Two big foreheads off two massive serves save the two break points.

A huge serve into the centre line is unplayable. Advantage Zheng.

Raducanu hoys the net when attempting a pass down the line and it;s three break-points saved by Zhen, who rose to the occasion when she had to. The mark fo a quality player is ever there was one, and particularly impressive with the whole crowd against her.

Zheng holds serve.

05:16 PM BST

Zheng 4 Raducanu* 2

Great serving by Raducanu but Zheng returns well and then hits a sumptuous backhand cross court. Awesomne sghot.

Zheng hots a fine return. 0-30.

Raducanu rips a forehand out of the centre of the strings for 15-30. Brilliant.

But that’s a lame forehand into the net from the Briton.

Zheng slips there and nets and has now asked to change her shoes. 30-40.

There are tutts of disapproval from the home crowd but you can’t blame the girl for wanting to get a grip, both literally and metaphorically.

It’s taking quite a long time. This is like waiting for my eight-year-old to tie his laces. Come on, Zheng.

Ironic applause greets her return and Raducanu nets her first serve. Then clips the net on her second. That was close. Let.

A long rally but Zheng nets and the crowd explodes! They knew how important that pit was. Another break point saved. Deuce.

A mammoth serve and Zheng goes long. Advantage Raducanu.

Raducanu makes Zheng run for her money but then goes long with an attempted winner down the line.

Deuce.

Zheng has some meaty groundstrokes and forces Raducanu wide after her slow second serve. It looks like Zheng has hit long but she found the chalk, and its another break point.

Raducanu responds with a blistering serve – and clenches her fist. Deuce!

Zheng has Raducanu on the run and hits a clean winner. Advantage Zheng.

A howitzer of a passing shot down the line wins the point. That is a brilliant winner and a break of serve for Zheng.

Zheng breaks serve.

After suffering a slip or two on the grass you’ve got to admire Zheng’s audacity to change her shoes on break point. Raducanu will no doubt have her own thoughts on that inopportune footwear swap. The Briton did well to keep her focus and save not one but two break points..but she succumbs on the third and it’s advantage Zheng.

05:04 PM BST

Zheng* 3 Raducanu 2

Zheng blasts two unreturnable serves down the track and a clean winner at 30-0 and before you can blink its 40-love.

The world No 5 attempts another big second serve but double-faults. 40-15.

A fantastic forehand return from Raducanu has Zheng on the back foot and she can only net.

Immense crosscourt forehand winner from Zheng from the baseline. There was nothing the girl from Bromley could do about that.

Zheng holds serve.

05:01 PM BST

Zheng 2 Raducanu 2*

Zheng returns Raducanu’s second serve and the British No 1 goes long. 0-15.

Cracking serve down the middle from Raducanu. 15-all.

Raducanu twice hits the top of the net for a double-fault. 15-30.

Raducanu slips at the back of the court and nets. Unfortunate. First big test here. Two break points. 15-40.

Ace! 30-40. Superb.

Zheng gets the next one back but Raducanu blasts a monster backhand down the line while going backwards. Have it! Deuce.

This time Raducanu goes long. Unforced error there. Advantage Zheng.

This time it’s Zheng who makes the error, looping one long. Three break points saved. 40-40.

A great angled serve and Zheng can only net. Advantage Raducanu.

Raducanu deploys the backhand slice for the first time and as Zheng attempts to follow suit, she nets her slice. Fantastic tennis and nerve shown by the British No 1 – who enjoys a bit of banter with the crowd.

Some bright tennis so far from Raducanu. She really made Zheng work for her early service games and apart from a couple of mishits hasn’t looked out of place against the world number five, saving a trio of

break points to hold serve.

Raducanu holds serve.

04:53 PM BST

Zheng* 2 Raducanu 1

Zheng forces Raducanu wide with a sliced serve but then misses the open court with Raducanu out of the point for 0-15.

A booming serve levels at 15-all.

A lovely rally with deep ground-strokes from both parties. Raducanu comes to the net and anticipates Zheng’s attempted pass only to volley wide.

A big serve brings up 40-15.

Wonderful return of Zheng’s second serve sets up a beautiful backhand down the line that wrong-foots Zheng. 40-30.

Zheng comes to the net behind her sliced serve but Raducanu passes with a glorious crosscourt forehand. Deuce.

A long rally concludes with Raducanu going long. She put too much into that forehand. Advantage Zheng.

Raducanu hits another fantastic cross-court winner on the run when it looks as though Zheng had taken the point. Lovely tennis. Deuce.

That’s a monster second serve from Zheng. Advantage Zheng.

Another blistering serve forces Raducanu long.

It’s early days but Raducanu is holding her own here.

Zheng holds serve.

04:46 PM BST

Zheng 1 Raducanu* 1

Raducanu kicks off with a big serve for 15-0.

Another booming serve and blistering forehand brings up 30-0.

That’s a double-fault. 30-15.

Undeterred, a deep serve forces Zheng to return long. 40-15.

Shame. Raducanu hits two glorious forehands, but the third is a fraction wide, with winner begging to be hit.

Good positive approach play, though.

A massive second serve on the line brings up a glorious ace.

Raducanu holds serve.

04:42 PM BST

Zheng* 1 Raducanu 0

We are under way. Zheng wins the toss and elects to serve.

Raducanu returns well and Zheng finds the tramlines for 0-30.

A big Zheng serve pulls a point back and Raducanu mishits a backhand. 30-all.

The British No 1 nets a regulation cross-court forehand and it’s 30-40.

But Zheng comes forward and nets a backhand and we have deuce.

Raducanu returns well and hangs in the rally, lobbing Zheng, but the world No 5 power an unreturnable forehand to bring up advantage, which she takes with a serve on the T line.

Zheng holds serve.

04:35 PM BST

Raducanu looking forward to Zheng ‘challenge’

Speaking to the BBC Raducanu has called Qinwen Zheng an “amazing player who has won loads of tournaments” and the Olympic champion does indeed boast a strong pedigree. But the Briton says she has nothing to lose as she is not the favourite and is “looking forward to the challenge” of taking on the Chinese.

Raducanu knows she is serving well and on this surface she might well find some joy if she employs her slice shot.

The Andy Murray Arena is as packed as I’ve seen it this week - the fierce London heat is putting nobody off and there’s a sense of anticipation in the air. With the mercury pushing 29 degrees celsius this afternoon, this will be something of a heat endurance test for Raducanu. It doesn’t get any easier being up against Qinwen Zheng, either. The gold medallist from last year’s Paris Olympics is the top seed at Queen’s this week.

04:29 PM BST

Ave Maria

Raducanu might draw inspiration from Tatjana Maria, the qualifier who has just upset Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, with a 6-4, 7-6 victory. Maria mixed up her game brilliantly, slow-balling her opponent with choppy shots and awkward slices that denied Rybakina the chance to settle into her rhythm.

Maria, a 37-year-old mother of two, deserves enormous credit for earning herself a semi-final meeting with Madison Keys, who beat Diana Shnaider in straight sets. Ave Maria!

04:21 PM BST

Petchey in her corner

Petchey has been juggling broadcasting duties with a part-time coaching role with Raducanu and has been a welcome familiar face on the Tour for the British player, who in her short career has hired and fired more coaches than Daniel Levy. Whether this more stable coaching environment has contributed to her recent uplift in form, or whether she just feels more at home on grass, is anyone’s guess, but the confidence that took such a battering in February and March is fast returning. Let’s hope she will be against Zheng...

04:17 PM BST

Coaching boost

This is the first meeting between the two players so promises to be a fascinating match-up. Will Zheng’s class win out as it did in the last round when she battled to a three-set win over hard-hitting American McCartney Kessler, or will Raducanu’s rediscovered form, liking for the surface and support from the home crowd get her over the line?

Another factor that appears to be working for Raducanu is the return of her most tried and trusted coaches, Nick Cavaday and Mark Petchey, for the grass-court season. Cavaday (pictured below) had to step down earlier this calendar year due to health reasons but has returned to her corner temporarily as she builds towards Wimbledon fortnight.

11:18 AM BST

Can Raducanu upset No 1 seed?

Welcome to our coverage of the women’s HSBC Championships quarter-final, live from The Queen’s Club, where Emma Raducanu is vying to reach the last-four stage.

Raducanu will have to be at the top her game to get past Qinwen Zheng, the No 1 seed, but she has advanced to the last eight of this first WTA event to be held at Queen’s for more than 50 years without dropping a set.

The 22-year-old, who has adjusted seamlessly from clay to grass this week, saw off Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday and has fared well enough to reclaim her status as British No 1 whatever happens today.

Zheng, also 22, is ranked the fifth-best player in the world and clearly represents Raducanu’s most challenging examination to date, yet Raducanu is perhaps better suited to this surface. Raducanu’s has won nine and lost five matches on grass since 2022, compared to Zheng’s opponent’s four and nine.