Emma Raducanu is set to reclaim her title as the British No. 1 on Monday, following Katie Boulter’s recent exit at the Queen’s tournament. Boulter fell to Russian fifth-seed Diana Shnaider in a closely contested second-round match, with scores of 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
During the first set, Boulter showcased her skills, effectively saving two break points, breaking Shnaider’s serve twice, and landing 10 impressive winners. After overcoming first-serve challenges in her earlier match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, Boulter managed to improve her service effectiveness, hitting approximately 75% of her first serves during that opening set.
However, issues returned during the second set. Two double faults early on allowed Shnaider to break serve and gain an early advantage, despite a brief rain delay. Boulter managed to break back and hold her next game, but the momentum shifted as Shnaider forced a deciding set.
The third set started with yet another double fault from Boulter, but she fought back from a 40-0 deficit to hold serve. Unfortunately, she struggled with her serve, ultimately racking up a total of nine double faults throughout the match. This opened the door for Shnaider to break Boulter’s serve twice more, allowing her to serve for the set and clinch a spot in the quarter-finals.
In a heartfelt moment after her victory, Shnaider apologized to the British crowd for eliminating their local favorite. "I definitely want to first apologize to the crowd," she said. "Katie is such a lovely person, and I feel so sorry for beating her in front of a home audience. I hope you’ll still support me moving forward."
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