Image credit: Getty Images. By Jonathan Jurejko. BBC Sport’s tennis correspondent reporting from Queen’s. 10 minutes ago. Emma Raducanu was punished for a sluggish start as she lost the Queen’s Club final to Croatia’s Donna Vekic. The 23-year-old was defeated 6-3 7-6 (8-6) by the 29-year-old Wimbledon semi-finalist from two years ago and has still not claimed a title since her 2021 US Open triumph.
Raducanu bravely saved three championship points at 6-5 in the second set and rescued a fourth on Vekic’s serve in the tie-break, but she could not prevent the Croatian from converting the fifth when she fired a forehand wide.
Vekic, a lucky loser who only entered the draw after Marta Kostyuk withdrew injured, made the most of her opportunity to claim the trophy.
Hampered by a leg problem, world No 42 Raducanu was swept aside in the opening set inside half an hour. She responded superbly, surging into a double-break lead in the second set, but twice failed to serve out the match. The experienced grass-court specialist Vekic kept her composure to force a tie-break.
Both players appeared to be tiring in a demanding contest, yet Raducanu, buoyed by a passionate home crowd, dug deep to reach the decider. Although she was ultimately beaten, the Briton can take great encouragement from an impressive week on grass as she prepares for Wimbledon.
The ranking points gained will lift her close to the top 30, potentially securing her a seeding at the All England Club.
“What a week – it’s been an incredible week for me to reach the final,” Raducanu said. “Donna played superbly from start to finish.” Associated subjects. Tennis. Additional details on this story. Live scores, match results, and schedule.