Emma Raducanu and Katie Bouter marked the return of women’s tennis to Queen’s Club by sealing a compelling double victory.
Britain’s Nos. 1 and 2 ranked women brushed the challenge with China’s Xinyu Jiang and Taiwan’s Fang-Hsien Wu to win 6-4 6-2 in the opening round of the HSBC championship.
Boulter and Raducanu will also also appear in the Singles competition, where the iconic London Grass Court site hosts a women’s tournament for the first time since 1973.
The couple could meet the co -brites Sonay Kartal and Jodie Burrage in the next round, with the other home pairing set to meet top seed Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe on Tuesday.
“I was actually very nervous before the match,” said the 2021 US Open Champion Raducanu. “I don’t know if you could tell it, but yes, probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn’t necessarily know what to do.
“I’m really happy when we got out there Katie made me feel so comfortable and I’m just so happy to have a win.”
This Queen’s partnership, Raducanu revealed, came “spontaneously”, after a few close calls where she and boulter almost went with Madrid, Paris and Miami.
Asked it could extend as far as Wimbledon, Raducanu replied, “We haven’t talked about it. It worked pretty well, so we just keep 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 crying.”
Boulter begins his single campaign against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, while Raducanu faces Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
Elsewhere on Monday, Britain’s Jacob Fearnley was beaten in straight sets of American Brandon Nakashima in the first round of the Boss Open in Stuttgart
Andy Murray Arena officially inaugurated
Earlier Monday, Center Court in Queen’s Club was officially inaugurated as Andy Murray Arena.
Retired three-time Grand Slam winner Murray, a long-standing champion of the women’s flush, won the gentlemen’s single title five times at Queen’s, most recently in 2016.
Center Court in Queen’s Club has been renamed Andy Murray Arena, with the British Great Present to a Ceremony
“My tennis is diabolic, apologizing for what you are witnessing,” said the 38-year-old before pairing himself with Gloria, 10, for the ceremonial two-round rally against Laura Robson, who won an Olympic silver medal with Murray in 2012 and Jay, 7.
The 38-year-old announced before last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris that he would bid farewell against Roland Garros, and after choosing to withdraw from the single competition, he had won in 2012 and 2016 buoyed Murray with a 6-2 6-4 defeat with Dan Evans.
“I’ve obviously missed being out here,” he said. “Of course, this is the first time it is not involved in a grass chair for a while, but I have been given a new life now and I enjoy being away from the sport a little.”
Scotsman revealed that he has a special connection to this event-male was coached as a 12 and 13-year-old by Russian Olga Morozova, the last winner of the woman’s singles here in 1973.
“I think it’s brilliant,” Murray said, when asked for the return of women’s tennis to the Queen’s. “This court has had a lot of good matches on it. I think it’s a great chance for women to show themselves out there.”
Former world # 1 first competed in the main feature of Queen’s as an 18-year-old and for the last time last season before retiring in Paris. He also claimed Doubles Trophy in 2019 with Feliciano Lopez.
Murray added: “This tournament has so many special moments for me. That’s the place where I won my first match on the ATP Tour, that’s my most successful event.
“Coming back here at the start of the British summer, and I am very proud of the results I have here.
“I am very grateful and grateful for it, it was who decided to name the stadium in this way. I hope there are lots of good matches and you enjoy all tennis.”
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