Boulter stuns Rybakina at Queen’s for biggest career win

An inspired Katie Boulter celebrated the biggest win of her career by ranking as the Briton ousted world number two Elena Rybakina to reach the Queen’s semi-finals.

Having overcome Jaqueline Cristian earlier in the day to reach the last eight, Boulter returned to court on Friday evening to stun Australian Open champion Rybakina 7-5 2-6 6-4.

World number 73 Boulter saved 12 of the 14 break points she faced over two hours and 39 minutes against former Wimbledon winner Rybakina.

The 29-year-old was roared on by passionate home support and skipped across the court in delight after Kazakh Rybakina netted a return on Boulter’s third match point.

Boulter will face Croatia’s Donna Vekic on Saturday for a place in the final.

“Honestly, I am not really sure what to say. I feel like this win goes to the crowd that got me through it tonight and stayed out here,” Boulter said.

“I just tried to keep backing myself and go for it. If you don’t go for it, you’re going to regret the things you’ve worked so hard for.”

Fellow Briton Emma Raducanu could potentially also have to play two matches in the same day after reaching the quarter-finals earlier on Friday.

Raducanu achieved her first win against a top-20 opponent in over a year by eliminating Romanian world number 18 Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-2 to reach the last eight.

It was a significant win for Raducanu against an opponent who thrashed her in the Transylvania Open final in February – and the 23-year-old had not won back-to-back matches since that tournament four months ago.

But there was not enough time for the British number one to contest her quarter-final against Kamilla Rakhimova – meaning she would need to play that match and her semi-final on Saturday should she defeat the 78th-ranked Russian-born Uzbek.

No play was possible at Queen’s on Thursday because of rain.

Boulter spent a total of almost four hours on court on Friday, but her efficient 67-minute 6-1 6-3 victory over Romania’s Cristian earlier in the day undoubtedly helped her maintain an excellent level throughout her enthralling tussle with top seed Rybakina.

Rybakina, meanwhile, had to battle back from a set down to defeat defending champion Tatjana Maria 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-0 in a lengthy first match of the day.

Boulter appeared the fresher of the two players as she rose to the occasion in front of home support, saving nine break points across the first set – including six in the sixth game alone.

The 29-year-old earned reward for her tenacity when she capitalised on a first opening on Rybakina’s serve to break for a 6-5 lead, before serving out the set.

Boulter applied further pressure at the start of set two, creating break points in Rybakina’s first two service games – but it was the Kazakh who struck first for a 3-1 lead, before securing a decider on her opponent’s serve.

That did not appear to affect Boulter’s confidence as she held to love with a stunning sliced drop shot early in the final set, and saved a break point in her next two service games to follow Rybakina to 4-4.

It was then that Boulter seized her moment, clinching a second break opportunity in the ninth game before holding her nerve to serve out a memorable win.

“I’m standing here a winner because I trusted my game, I trusted my team. I’m so proud of today,” Boulter added.

“My first semi-final here, it’s a really special one. I’m wanting more so I’m going to keep pushing and get myself ready for tomorrow.”

After earning her first win since Indian Wells in March by beating Anna Blinkova in her first-round match at Queen’s, Raducanu notched another impressive win before supporting Boulter’s heroics from the stands.

The British number one’s season has been disrupted by a post-viral illness that kept her off the WTA Tour for more than two months, and she lost her only two matches on her return – in Strasbourg and at the French Open in May – prior to this tournament.

Raducanu was comprehensively beaten by Cirstea in February, losing 6-0 6-2 in the Romanian’s homeland, but was quick to assert herself as she produced another encouraging display in front of her home crowd in London.

Racing into a 4-0 lead, Raducanu held firm after Cirstea pulled one break back in the first set, before taking her two break point opportunities in the second and serving out the match untroubled.

“It feels incredible to come out and play how I did today against Sorana. Earlier in the year she beat me, but I’m really glad I could get her back at home,” said the 2021 US Open champion.

“I think I played at a really high level, I knew I had to go out and play aggressively and dictate.

“As soon as I took my foot off the gas a little bit, she was coming back.”

Quarter-final opponent Rakhimova beat Britain’s Harriet Dart 5-7 6-1 7-5 after almost three hours.

Earlier, Canada’s world number nine Victoria Mboko announced she will miss Wimbledon after badly injuring her knee at Queen’s on Wednesday.

Having partnered American great Serena Williams on her winning return to action in the doubles competition on Tuesday, the 19-year-old was forced to retire from her singles match against Karolina Pliskova after slipping on the grass a day later.

Mboko said in a post on Instagram that she had damaged her medial collateral ligament (MCL) in her left knee and would subsequently miss the rest of the grass court season.