Thursday, June 12

Sports Mole previews Friday’s Queen’s Club Championships quarter-final between Qinwen Zheng and Emma Raducanu, including predictions, head-to-head and their tournament so far.

Friday at the Queen’s Club Championships promises an exciting encounter between top seed Qinwen Zheng and in-form home hope Emma Raducanu in the WTA 500 event’s quarter-final.

The Chinese star had to dig deep to outlast McCartney Kessler in over two hours, while Raducanu dominated Rebecca Sramkova to reach the tournament’s last eight, thereby supplanting Katie Boulter as the British No. 1 and setting up a maiden match against the Olympic gold medallist.

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Match preview

Zheng appeared to be on track for a routine victory in her first match on grass, only for Kessler to apply pressure in set two and much of the decider, establishing a 4-1 lead in the third.

However, the Chinese star rallied to claim six of the next seven games to secure the victory, finishing 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in two hours and 11 minutes.

By clinching the hard-fought win, Zheng, whose limited experience and expertise on grass leave the five-time WTA title-holder vulnerable, has achieved only her fourth career triumph on the surface heading into Friday’s last-eight contest with Raducanu.

Having lost to Lulu Sun in the first round of Wimbledon 12 months ago, following a last-16 defeat by Katerina Siniakova, the 22-year-old entered Thursday's encounter on a two-match losing run in grass-court events, with just one win in seven.

Turning around a third-set deficit in the decisive set should encourage the Chinese No. 1, who has expressed her desire to produce improved performances during the short grass season.

That ambition will be tested against Raducanu, who delivered another commendable performance to dispatch Sramkova in straight sets.

The one-time Grand Slam winner has not dropped a set in the first two rounds in West Kensington, conceding only three games in her tournament-opening victory over Cristina Bucsa and losing just two more in round two against Sramkova.

After a positive run to last year’s fourth round at Wimbledon, which followed commendable showings in Nottingham and Eastbourne, reaching the semi-finals and last eight, respectively, the British star aimed for more of the same.

Indeed, this year's grass-court campaign has started positively, and the former world No. 10 will aim to notch a 10th victory on the surface since 2024 at the top seed's expense.

Having exited the French Open meekly against Iga Swiatek, Raducanu has responded to another defeat to the Pole by starting strongly in her first lead-up tournament going into this year's Championships.

Now, the 2021 US Open champion strives to upset the top seed in Queen’s to advance to her first semi-final on the women’s tour since last year, when she reached the last four of the grass event in Nottingham.

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Tournament so far

Qinwen Zheng:

First round: Bye

Second round: vs. McCartney Kessler 6-3 4-6 7-5

Emma Raducanu:

First round: vs. Cristina Bucsa 6-1 6-2

Second round: vs. Rebecca Sramkova 6-4 6-1

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Head To Head

Zheng and Raducanu will face off for the first time on the women’s tour, adding an extra layer of intrigue ahead of their contest in London.

While the Brit is more than 30 places behind her top-10 opponent, the 22-year-old’s greater expertise on grass is highlighted by her 9-3 record on the surface since last year; this pales in comparison to the Chinese star’s 4-8 career record on grass, with Zheng's fourth victory coming in Thursday's success over Kessler.

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We say: Raducanu to win in three sets

While this may be unpopular, given Zheng’s higher ranking, Raducanu is the stronger player on grass, and while Friday’s outcome hinges on the top seed’s serving level dipping or otherwise, the British star is expected to outlast the Olympic gold medallist in three sets. ID:575417:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5643:

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