Raducanu, Boulter Advance at Queen's Club with Back-to-Back Wins

Advantage "Boultercanu."

Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu are having a time on home turf as women's tennis returns to The Queen's Club for the first time in 52 years. The British No. 1 and No. 2 partnered on the doubles court for the first time at the HSBC Championships in West London on Monday.

The pair are off to a flying start, securing a 6-4, 6-2 win against China's Xinyu Jiang and Taiwan's Fang-Hsien Wu in their round of 16 match.

"I thought we played some very good tennis, considering it's our first time playing," Boulter said after the match. "I thought the level was really high and really happy to get our first grass court win this year."

The duo talked about joining forces in the doubles draw at previous tournaments like Madrid and Miami; however, the partnership on grass stemmed from preparations for the Billie Jean King Cup in September.

"We are playing Billie Jean King Cup, and we want to put ourselves in the best position possible," Raducanu said. "For us as well, to kind of get some matches on the court together is good preparation for that, too."

Following their doubles success, both Brits came through their first round singles wins on Tuesday. Raducanu came through with flying colors, beating Spain's Cristina Bucșa with a decisive 6-1, 6-2 victory, while Boulter fought through a tough match against Ajla Tomljanović for a 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-4 win.

Raducanu has had a tough year on and off the court, battling back injuries and facing turmoil after being targeted by a "fixated fan" during a WTA event in Dubai.

She's faced additional criticism for her many coaching changes in the past, but her latest, bringing former coach Nick Cavaday back to her team for grass season, appears to be in her favor, given her smiles on court during her match against Bucșa.

"We're all pulling for the same thing," Raducanu said on the coaching decision. "We all just want to improve. I think the goal right now is just to improve my skill level and have a high base level."

Raducanu played a clinical match in her first round win, holding 78% of her first serve and winning four of five break points on Bucșa's serve. Boulter, on the other hand, faced a difficult challenge against Tomljanović, both showing incredible strength and stamina in the three-set battle at Andy Murray Arena.

Boulter came out of a tough first set tiebreaker with a perfectly placed cross court forehand winner to seal the set, although she lost five games in a row to lose the second set to Tomljanović.

The drama continued in the final set, where four straight breaks in serve left the match up in the air. Boulter ultimately held her nerve, breaking Tomljanović's serve at 5-4 to secure the win.

Boulter and Raducanu are currently battling for the top spot of the British women's rankings. If Raducanu equals or betters Boulter's run at the Championships this year, she'll retake her spot at British number one, one she hasn't held since Boulter overtook her in June 2023.

Raducanu faces Rebecca Šramková in the round of 16 on Thursday, while Boulter faces fifth seed Diana Shnaider. The duo will play against Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe in the doubles quarterfinals later this morning.

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