Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu made an impressive start to her grass-court season, defeating Russia’s Anna Blinkova 6-0, 6-3 to advance to the round of 16 at the Queen’s Club Championships.
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The British star needed just one hour to secure the straight-sets victory, producing a commanding performance that delighted the home crowd and signaled a strong return to form ahead of the summer grass-court swing.
Blinkova, ranked No. 105 in the world, had entered the main draw after successfully navigating the qualifying rounds over the weekend.
Despite having more recent match experience on the Queen’s grass courts, the Russian struggled to cope with Raducanu’s aggressive and precise play from the outset.
Raducanu raced into an early 3-0 lead before rain interrupted proceedings, forcing a temporary suspension of the match. However, the delay did little to disrupt the momentum of the 23-year-old Briton.
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When play resumed, Raducanu continued her dominance, completing a flawless opening set without conceding a game.
The 2021 US Open winner lost only six points throughout the first set and struck 12 winners as she overwhelmed her opponent.
The world No. 42 maintained control in the second set, breaking Blinkova’s resistance to seal victory and book her place in the next round.
The win marks Raducanu’s first victory since her campaign at Indian Wells and ends a difficult run of three consecutive defeats.
It also provides a timely confidence boost as she prepares for the remainder of the grass-court season and the build-up to Wimbledon.
Having endured a challenging period marked by injuries and inconsistent results, Raducanu will hope the convincing performance at Queen’s serves as the foundation for a strong summer on her preferred surface.
Her next opponent will be determined following the completion of the remaining first-round matches as she continues her quest for a deep run in the prestigious tournament.
