2024 Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Veki\u0107 staved off a comeback from Emma Raducanu to win Queen\u2019s on Sunday afternoon, becoming the first lucky loser to win a WTA Tour title since 2023.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In that tiebreak, Veki\u0107 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing up and playing on the tour, I was always jealous of the boys having the chance to play on this court,\u201d Veki\u0107 said during the trophy ceremony. Queen\u2019s resumed hosting a WTA event last year, having not done so since 1973.<\/p>\n
Veki\u0107, who lost to Russia\u2019s Anna Blinkova in qualifying, defeated Karol\u00edna Pl\u00ed\u0161kov\u00e1, the Czech 2021 Wimbledon finalist in the quarterfinals and then Britain\u2019s Katie Boulter to set up the final against Raducanu, who was searching for her first title since the 2021 U.S. Open. Had Veki\u0107 won that qualifying match, she would have played Raducanu in the first round, instead of the final.<\/p>\n
Raducanu went into Sunday\u2019s final in surging form, but she picked up an injury to her upper left leg Saturday in beating first Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan and then Iva Jovi\u0107 of the U.S. Like Veki\u0107 on Friday, Raducanu had to play two matches on the same day thanks to fixture congestion caused by a rain-splattered tournament.<\/p>\n
Come Sunday, Veki\u0107 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.<\/p>\n
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. Veki\u0107 duly broke again to seal a bagel set.<\/p>\n