Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter marked the return of girls’s tennis to Queen’s Membership by sealing a convincing doubles victory.
Britain’s No 1 and a pair of ranked girls brushed apart the problem of China’s Xinyu Jiang and Taiwan’s Fang-Hsien Wu to win 6-4 6-2 within the opening spherical of the HSBC Championships.
Boulter and Raducanu will each additionally function within the singles competitors, with the enduring London grass court docket venue internet hosting a girls’s match for the primary time since 1973.
The pair might face fellow Brits Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage within the subsequent spherical, with the opposite house pairing set to face prime seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe on Tuesday.
“I was actually very nervous before the match,” stated 2021 US Open champion Raducanu. “I do not know in the event you might inform, however, yeah, in all probability extra nervous than the singles, as a result of I simply did not essentially know what to do.
“I’m really happy once we got out there, Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I’m just so pleased to get a win.”
This Queen’s partnership, Raducanu revealed, got here “spontaneously”, after just a few shut calls the place she and Boulter practically joined forces at Madrid, Paris and Miami.
Requested it might lengthen so far as Wimbledon, Raducanu replied: “We haven’t spoken about it. It worked pretty well, so we’re just going to keep on trying to do as best we can this week.”
Boulter joked: “Scrap what she said – we’re going for the Wimbledon title! No, I’m just kidding.”
Boulter will start her singles marketing campaign in opposition to Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, whereas Raducanu faces Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
Elsewhere on Monday, Britain’s Jacob Fearnley was overwhelmed in straight units by American Brandon Nakashima within the first spherical of the Boss Open in Stuttgart
Andy Murray Enviornment formally inaugurated
Earlier on Monday, centre court docket at Queen’s Membership was formally inaugurated because the Andy Murray Enviornment.
Retired three-time grand slam winner Murray, a long-time champion of the ladies’s sport, gained the boys’s singles title 5 occasions at Queen’s, most just lately in 2016.
Centre court docket at Queen’s Membership has been renamed the Andy Murray area, with the British nice in attendance for a ceremony
“My tennis is diabolical, apologies for what you are about to witness,” stated the 38-year-old earlier than pairing up with Gloria, 10, for the ceremonial two-round rally in opposition to Laura Robson, who gained an Olympic silver medal alongside Murray in 2012, and Jay, 7.
The 38-year-old introduced earlier than final summer time’s Olympic Video games in Paris he would bid farewell at Roland Garros and, after opting to withdraw from the singles competitors – a title he had gained in 2012 and 2016 – Murray bowed out with a 6-2 6-4 defeat alongside Dan Evans.
“I’ve obviously missed being out here,” he stated. “It’s the first time, obviously, not being involved in a grass court season for a while, but I’ve got a new life now and I’m enjoying being away from the sport a little bit.”
The Scotsman revealed he has a particular connection to this occasion – he was coached as a 12 and 13-year-old by Russian Olga Morozova, the final girls’s singles winner right here in 1973.
“I think it’s brilliant,” stated Murray, when requested concerning the return of girls’s tennis to Queen’s. “This court has had many great matches on it. I think it’s a great chance for women to showcase themselves out there.”
The previous world No 1 first competed in the principle draw at Queen’s as an 18-year-old and for the final time final season earlier than retiring in Paris. He additionally claimed the doubles trophy in 2019 alongside Feliciano Lopez.
Murray added: “This tournament has so many special moments for me. It’s the place where I won my first match on the ATP Tour, it’s my most successful event.
“Coming again right here firstly of the British summer time and I am very pleased with the outcomes I’ve right here.
“I’m very grateful and thankful for whoever it was who decided to name the stadium this way. I hope there’s lots of great matches and you all enjoy the tennis.”
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