Raducanu reaches Queen's final after two wins in one day

Emma Raducanu reached the Queen's Club final on Saturday after winning twice in one day, a result that underlined her grass-court progress ahead of Wimbledon despite fresh fitness concerns.

Raducanu first came through her quarter-final against Kamilla Rakhimova, during which she prompted concern over a thigh problem. She returned strapped and finished the match, then later backed it up in the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Iva Jovic.

The two victories put Raducanu into her first Queen's final, where she will face Donna Vekic.

How Raducanu got there

The quarter-final against Rakhimova was the point at which the injury scare emerged. Even so, Raducanu stayed in the tournament and came back later the same day to take control of her semi-final.

Against Jovic, she was efficient from the start and did not drop a set across either match on the day. The straight-sets win completed a strong response to the fitness doubts that had hovered over her tournament.

Final and Wimbledon stakes

Vekic booked her place in the final by beating Katie Boulter in the other semi-final.

For Raducanu, the Queen's run matters beyond the trophy chase. Queen's Club is one of the key women's grass-court warm-up events before Wimbledon, and the result strengthens her build-up to the major later in June.

It may also help her case for a Wimbledon seeding, although her thigh issue remains the main open question after Saturday's matches.

Raducanu now goes into the final with momentum, but her immediate fitness will be watched closely as she prepares to face Vekic and then turn to Wimbledon.