Zheng beats Raducanu at Queen's after change of shoes, Rybakina upset by Maria

LONDON :Top seed Zheng Qinwen beat home favourite Emma Raducanu 6-2 6-4 to move into the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championships on Friday while 37-year-old Tatjana Maria upset 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina to reach the last four.

In an entertaining battle at the Andy Murray Arena, Zheng showed she could be a worthy contender heading into Wimbledon as she marched into her first semi-final on grass when she converted her fourth match point.

Zheng has won singles titles on clay and hardcourts but she is still adapting to grass, with the 22-year-old showing a marked improvement in her match with Raducanu after she changed her shoes midway through a game when the Briton was serving.

"I want to apologise for my shoes. I didn't want to fall two times, but I just don't know how to run on grass," Zheng said sheepishly.

"I still don't know when I have to change the grass shoes. I think right now is the time, so it's the new shoes. I feel much better to run.

"It was a really difficult match for me, especially (because) she has got more experience than me on the grasscourt. I'm just really happy to get into the semi-final for the first time on grass."

Zheng and Raducanu were neck-and-neck in the opening set until the Chinese world number five finally broke serve to go 4-2 up.

The home crowd largely favoured Raducanu but Zheng did not waver and the Paris Olympic champion claimed the opening set despite a fall on set point.

Raducanu took a medical timeout for a back issue before the second set and that swung the momentum the Briton's way as she secured a double break to go 3-0 up.

But Zheng quickly recovered and levelled the set, before going 5-4 up with an overhead smash that kissed the line, with the crowd gasping as one when