Inspired Donna Vekić defeats Emma Raducanu to win Queen’s title as lucky loser

2024 Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekić staved off a comeback from Emma Raducanu to win Queen’s on Sunday afternoon, becoming the first lucky loser to win a WTA Tour title since 2023.

The 29-year-old Croatian, who lost in qualifying but got into the main draw after French Open semifinalist Marta Kostyuk withdrew, eased through the first set and then recovered from 5-2 down in the second to lead 6-5. But Raducanu saved three championship points on her serve to force a tiebreak, appearing to tip the momentum of a seesawing set back her way.

In that tiebreak, Vekić reset again after Raducanu got back from 4-1 to 4-4, taking her fifth championship point to seal a 6-0, 7-6(6) triumph and the biggest title of her career.

“Going up and playing on the tour, I was always jealous of the boys having the chance to play on this court,” Vekić said during the trophy ceremony. Queen’s resumed hosting a WTA event last year, having not done so since 1973.

Vekić, who lost to Russia’s Anna Blinkova in qualifying, defeated Karolína Plíšková, the Czech 2021 Wimbledon finalist in the quarterfinals and then Britain’s Katie Boulter to set up the final against Raducanu, who was searching for her first title since the 2021 U.S. Open.

Raducanu had been in surging form but she picked up an injury to her upper left leg Saturday in beating first Kamila Rakhimova of Uzbekistan and then Iva Jović of the U.S. Like Vekić on Friday, Raducanu had to play two matches on the same day thanks to fixture congestion caused by a rain-splattered tournament and Vekić started as hot as Raducanu did cold. She lasered winners into the corners and mixed in deft drop shots to establish a 5-0 lead.

Raducanu, who won 29 percent of the points she played behind her serve in the opener, spoke to her coach, Andrew Richardson, about her ball toss being too low in the sixth game. Vekić duly broke again to seal a bagel set.

In the opening game of the second set, the 23-year-old Brit turned to her box and said “say something, you’re saying nothing,” with Vekić up 40-15 on her own serve. Richardson recently returned to Raducanu’s coaching setup after nearly five years away; their final tournament together was that 2021 U.S. Open, which Raducanu won as a qualifier.

After holding serve for the first time in the subsequent game, Raducanu got back into the match, aided by a net cord that got Raducanu to 0-15 on the Croatian’s serve for the first time. Vekić’s close-to-unplayable level dropped and her decision-making grew ragged, allowing Raducanu to gain a foothold with support from a very full and very partisan Andy Murray Arena.

She surged to a 5-2 lead but despite twice having the opportunity to serve out the set, Raducanu could not convert. Vekić was able to subdue the crowd with some tenacious defense — and one sublime re-drop crosscourt off a delicate Raducanu drop shot — and she then subdued Raducanu herself.

Roared on again by her home crowd, Raducanu saved those three championship points with some confident, aggressive tennis, but come the tiebreak, Vekić did enough to earn two more chances for victory, extracting one last forehand error on the second and falling to her knees in triumph.

The loss extends Raducanu’s wait for a second career title.

“It’s been an incredible week for me: making the final here, playing in my home city, my home tournament… the support I’ve received all week has been incredible,” Raducanu said during the trophy ceremony.

Both players’ exploits put them in line to be seeded at Wimbledon, which starts June 29.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Tennis, Women’s Tennis

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