HSBC Championships 2026: Emma Raducanu set for Iva Jovic clash after quarter-final win
• 3 minute read
Emma Raducanu booked her place in the HSBC Championships semi-finals with a convincing victory over Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan.
The British No.1 beat the world No.78 6-3, 7-5 to set up a blockbuster semi-final with American teenager Iva Jovic later today.
Raducanu becomes the second British player to reach the final four at The Queen’s Club this week after Katie Boulter stunned world No.2 Elena Rybakina late yesterday evening.
Boulter is due to play former Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic in the second match of the day on the Andy Murray Arena.
This is the first time two British players have reached the semi-finals of a WTA 500 event since Eastbourne in 2017 (Johanna Konta and Heather Watson).
Raducanu builds on her previous wins over Anna Blinkova and Sorana Cirstea to make the semi-finals of the HSBC Championships for the first time.
“It was really tricky – I think Kamilla played some incredible tennis,” Raducanu said. “She got to a lot of balls and made it very difficult. It was a match of ups and downs, and I was so grateful for all the support in the tough moments.
“Me and Katie are in the semis, which is a great achievement and we played doubles as well. It’s great to see, great for the tournament and I’m wishing her well. Hopefully I can do the same.”
Three key stats
- Consistently strong returns – Raducanu’s return quality was 8.2/10 throughout the match and the Briton broke five times
- Taking second serve early – the British No.1 took 100% of her second serve returns inside the baseline compared to a draw average 48%, putting the pressure on her opponent
- Winning shorter rallies – Raducanu won 59% points with 0-4 shots and 58% with 5-8 shots, winning the points early in the rallies
There was a moment of worry for British tennis fans when Raducanu took a fall midway through the second set, but the former US Open champion bounced back to close out the victory in an hour and 51 minutes.
“I think right now it’s a mix of adrenaline, but it was tough to take that fall,” she added. “I was at a pretty good spot in the match, but on grass, these things can happen. I found it tough to regroup, but I’m proud of how I did that in the end.
After a bit of a shaky start from both players and a short delay for the Red Arrows flyover, Raducanu started to shift through the gears.
The British No.1 broke to love with a thunderbolt forehand return winner at 0-40 to claim her second break at 3-2 and only lost one point on serve the rest of the way.
However, with a break lead in the second set, Raducanu slipped on the baseline and was forced to take a medical timeout. It took a while for her to rediscover her rhythm, giving Rakhimova the chance to claw her way back into the match.
Rakhimova broke back and then prevented Raducanu from serving out the victory at 5-4, but the British star kept her cool under pressure.
Raducanu’s return of serve was the highlight of her game, and so it proved once again. The Brit – who had a return quality score of 8.2/10 throughout the match – hit another forehand return winner to give herself another bite at the apple.
Rakhimova made it difficult in the final game, but on her third match point Raducanu tucked away a volley before letting out a huge roar in celebration.
Raducanu will be facing world No.19 Jovic for the first time in her career later today.
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