Emma Raducanu flies into Queen’s semi-finals despite ‘insane’ interruption

Emma Raducanu admitted she was “in awe” after the “insane” interruption of the King’s birthday flypast briefly delayed her quarter-final victory at the HSBC Championships.

The British number one will play American Iva Jovic later on Saturday after beating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3 7-5 at Queen’s.

Raducanu was up 40-0 and serving in the fifth game when the first set was paused for the Trooping the Colour spectacle, as a series of aircraft thundered directly over centre court capped off by the Red Arrows, much to the initial bafflement, then amusement, of the 2021 US Open winner.

“It was insane,” Raducanu told the BBC after the delay of around five minutes. “I couldn’t play with that. I was distracted and in awe of what was going on, and I think the crowd loved it, too.

“For me, I remember when I was younger watching them fly over, but to be watching them from this view at the Queen’s Club, I think it was a fun moment with the crowd and I really enjoyed the interaction.”

She eventually secured the first set and was a break up in the second, leading 3-1, when she slipped behind the baseline, initially carrying on but, after Rakhimova reduced the deficit to one game, called for a medical time out.

Raducanu returned with significant strapping on her left thigh, which was removed after Rakhimova took a 4-3 second-set lead.

“I think right now it’s a mix of adrenaline, but it was tough to take that fall. I feel like I was in a pretty good spot in the match, and on grass these things can happen,” said Raducanu, when asked about her injury on court after finally booking her place in the last four.

Raducanu has matched her best WTA Tour-level result on grass, the semi-final at Nottingham in 2024, and her semi-final run at Washington