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Boulter stuns Rybakina
Katie Boulter reached the Queen’s Club semi-finals after beating world No 2 and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in the quarter-finals on Friday.
“An inspired Katie Boulter celebrated the biggest win of her career by ranking as the Briton ousted world number two Elena Rybakina to reach the Queen's semi-finals”
Boulter, the British wildcard, had also defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-3 earlier in the day, and the BBC said she saved 12 of the 14 break points she faced over two hours and 39 minutes.
The match was played at the Queen’s Club in London after rain washed out the entire programme on Thursday, leaving organisers to play catch-up on Friday.
Boulter’s win set up a Saturday semi-final against Croatia’s Donna Vekic, while the BBC noted that Emma Raducanu’s delayed quarter-final against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova could force her to play two matches on Saturday.
After the upset, Boulter told the BBC, "Honestly, I am not really sure what to say. I really feel like this win goes to the crowd that got me through it tonight and stayed out here."
Quotes and scheduling strain
The BBC described how Boulter was roared on by passionate home support and skipped across the court in delight after Rybakina netted a return on Boulter's third match point.
Boulter said, "I just tried to keep backing myself and go for it. If you don't go for it, you're going to regret the things you've worked so hard for," as she reflected on the biggest win of her career by ranking.
The BBC also said Raducanu could potentially have to play two matches in the same day after reaching the quarter-finals earlier on Friday, because there was not enough time for her to contest her quarter-final against Kamilla Rakhimova.
In the same rain-affected context, the BBC reported that no play was possible at Queen's on Thursday because of rain, and that Boulter spent a total of almost four hours on court on Friday.
Sky Sports added that Boulter’s second-round match against Jaqueline Cristian was pushed to Friday morning because of rain on Thursday, and that she advanced to the semi-finals with a 7-5 2-6 7-5 upset of top seeded Rybakina.
Semis set for Saturday
With Boulter through, the Queen’s Club semi-finals are set for Saturday, with the BBC stating Boulter will face Donna Vekic for a place in the final.
“Katie Boulter advanced to her first quarterfinal at the Queen's Club WTA 500 event on Thursday, dispatching Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour”
The BBC said Raducanu achieved her first win against a top-20 opponent in over a year by eliminating Romanian world number 18 Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-2 to reach the last eight.
France 24 reported that Raducanu will play her delayed quarter-final on Saturday against Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova, who beat British wildcard Harriet Dart.
France 24 also said the winner of Raducanu’s meeting with Rakhimova will play American sixth seed Iva Jovic in the semi-finals after Jovic beat former Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
After her quarter-final win, Raducanu said, "Earlier in the year she beat me, but I'm glad I could get her back at home as well," as she looked ahead to the next match on the grass at Queen’s Club.
