7 jam yang lalu
In nan latest version of Second Serve, our play snapshot of nan tours, BBC tennis newsman Jonathan Jurejko analyses Emma Raducanu's return to British number one.
The conflict to beryllium nan British women's number 1 is an intriguing sub-plot which will proceed complete nan grass-court season.
Emma Raducanu replaced Katie Boulter arsenic nan nation's starring subordinate pursuing her tally to nan Queen's quarter-finals.
Raducanu has climbed 1 spot to 36th successful nan world, pinch Boulter dropping 5 places to 39th aft losing successful nan 2nd round.
And it's not only Raducanu and Boulter successful nan mix. British number 3 Sonay Kartal is classed conscionable beneath them astatine 50th.
"It's bully [being British number one], but I wouldn't opportunity it's nan astir important point for me," said Raducanu, whose first spell came aft she won nan 2021 US Open.
"It was bully for maine to person thing to chase, and I'm judge Katie's going to bask that pinch me.
"The writer play is still young, and truthful is nan remainder of nan season. We person a patient competition."
Boulter, 28, had a two-year grip connected nan position but was leapfrogged by 22-year-old Raducanu erstwhile nan rankings were released connected Monday.
While some players insist it is not a immense woody - their attraction remains connected nan bigger image of climbing nan world rankings - it is simply a storyline which will rumble into Wimbledon astatine nan extremity of nan month.
For Raducanu, though, it does correspond a notable landmark arsenic she continues to steadily rebuild her career.
She dropped extracurricular of nan world's apical 300 aft wrist and ankle injuries meant she missed astir of nan 2023 play and she was classed arsenic debased arsenic 165th this clip past year.
Pulling retired of this week's WTA tourney successful Berlin pinch an ongoing backmost rumor intends she has missed nan opportunity to unit her measurement into nan Wimbledon seedings.
But, pinch an improved service and nan expertise to get debased connected nan grass, Raducanu will still fancy her chances of replicating her tally to nan Wimbledon 4th information past year.
"I deliberation possibly my goals person somewhat shifted from being seeded to really improving my game," said Raducanu, whose caller one-sided defeats by Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff were reminders of really she remains down nan very best.
"I'd alternatively person a much competitory match, moreover if that intends losing first information aliases 2nd round."
It is 1 of nan astir singular title wins successful WTA history. Veteran German qualifier Tatjana Maria came into Queen's having mislaid her erstwhile 8 tour-level matches - and near it as nan champion.
Maria's occurrence made her nan first women's champion astatine Queen's since 1973 and, by each measures, the WTA arena delivered.
Carlos Alcaraz's post-French Open travel to Ibiza is becoming an yearly ritual. The 22-year-old says last week's jaunt was "more chill" than erstwhile ones - though he admit to having a "few shots".
American Taylor Fritz has made nan biggest move successful nan ATP rankings complete nan past week, climbing to 4th successful nan world aft winning nan Stuttgart title vacated by Jack Draper.
Fritz has jumped backmost supra Draper and Novak Djokovic, putting himself successful rod position to beryllium seeded 4th for Wimbledon.
That is important because it intends avoiding a imaginable lucifer against immoderate of nan apical 3 seeds - Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev - until nan semi-finals.
Canada's Gabriel Diallo has moved to a career-high 44th aft winning s'Hertogenbosch, pinch beaten finalist Zizou Bergs of Belgium and semi-finalist Reilly Opelka besides notable climbers successful nan apical 100.
Maria's stunning occurrence intends she is, unsurprisingly, nan biggest climber successful nan WTA Tour this week.
The 37-year-old, who became nan oldest WTA champion since Serena Williams successful 2020, moved up 43 places to 43rd successful nan world.
Runner-up Amanda Anisimova and semi-finalist Zheng Qinwen person some achieved caller career-high rankings - 13th and 4th respectively - but erstwhile number 1 Iga Swiatek has dropped further to eighth aft not playing this week.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old American Iva Jovic cracked nan apical 100 for nan first clip aft winning nan WTA 125 title successful Ilkley.
The British grass-court play continues astatine Queen's, pinch nan men taking complete nan iconic westbound London venue for nan ATP 500 event.
Alcaraz and Draper header nan tournament, while Sinner, Zverev and erstwhile world number 1 Daniil Medvedev lead a value section successful Halle.
On nan WTA Tour, 9 of nan world's apical 10 are among a stacked introduction database successful Berlin - pinch only Swiatek missing.
While nan adjacent procreation return up astir of nan headlines these days, 2 British stalwarts person reminded everyone they are still capable to compete astatine nan apical level.
Former British number 1 Heather Watson, 33, has moved backmost into nan world's apical 150 aft reaching nan Queen's 2nd information arsenic a qualifier.
And Dan Evans, 35, is backmost wrong nan apical 200 aft doing nan aforesaid successful s'Hertogenbosch past week.
Evans believes he tin go a top-100 subordinate again and justified that pinch a stunning triumph complete world number 13 Frances Tiafoe astatine Queen's connected Monday.
In nan men's doubles, British brace Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool continued their awesome advancement by reaching a 5th ATP last of nan season.
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