Raducanu win puts her above Boulter in rankings

Emma Raducanu started her grass-court singles 2025 campaign with a straight-sets win over Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa at Queens Club, featuring women for the first time since 1973.

She took just one hour and five minutes to coast past world number 112 Bucsa 6-1 6-2 and enjoyed the occasion  in front of a home crowd in West London.

“Going on to the court laughing at certain shots, or I’m smiling if I have pulled off a great shot, it does help relax you,” Raducanu said.

“I play my best when my personality is put on the court and I can express myself, and I feel like sometimes when I’ve been constrained to play a certain way, it hasn’t necessarily worked.

“I just need to be free and expressive, and then certain moments of creativity can come up.”

For the time being, the win puts Raducanu above compatriot Katie Boulter in the live rankings and could be the end of Boulter’s two-year reign as British number one, depending on how they both perform this week.

Boulter had earlier booked her place in the last 16 but is defending ranking points at the tournament, the first women’s Tour event at Queen’s since 1973.

Katie Boulter celebrates Queens win – by Mark Greenwood IPS

She overcame a tough test against Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic, winning 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-4.

Another Brit Heather Watson made it a British treble getting through to the second round beating  Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 6-4 6-3 to set up a last-16 meeting with  Elena Rybakina.

Main photo:- Emma Raducanu made quick work of Cristina Busca – by Mark Greenwood/Grandslamtennis