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Moments before Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter walked on to court one to add a touch of pizzazz to a historic day at Queen’s Club, a lady carrying an empty Pimm’s jug went to go for a refill. “I’m sorry but if you leave, we won’t be able to let you straight back in,” she was told by a steward. “You will have to queue.”
The woman thought for a moment, looked at the packed stands, and returned to her seat. It turned out to be a wise decision. And not just because the queue to see the British pair – or “Boultercanu” as the press had already anointed them – was snaking halfway around Queen’s Club.
For when the action began, Raducanu and Boulter proved to be an instant sensation as they walloped the doubles pair of China’s Jiang Xinyu and Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien 6-4, 6-2. But it was not only the quality of their play in their first match together that stood out. There were also plenty of laughs, high fives and jokes, which continued at the press conference afterwards.
Asked whether they might be tempted to also give the doubles a whirl at Wimbledon, Raducanu played it straight. “We’re just going to keep trying to do as best as we can this week and take it from there.” But before she could go on, Boulter interjected: “Scrap what she said,” she laughed. “We’re going for the Wimbledon title.”
“I was actually very nervous before the match,” added Raducanu. “Probably more nervous than the singles, because I just didn’t really necessarily know what to do. But Katie made me feel so comfortable, and I’m just so pleased to get a win on the board.”
The only pity was that many fans on the first day of women’s tennis at Queen’s Club since 1972 were unable to watch, as the match was played in front of 1,000 spectators on court one rather than on the Andy Murray Arena, which holds 7,700 seats.
“I think it is very swear-word annoying,” one spectator, Helen Millinersaid as she waited outside. “I booked tickets for the Andy Murray Arena months ago, and was hoping to see Radders and Katie on there, especially given it is such a historic day. I tried to get on to court one to see them, but the queue was incredibly long,. I was told it would take an hour to get on.”
A spokesperson later explained the decision was down to contractual issues obliging the WTA to put predominately singles matches on the main court.
Court one was so intimate that when Raducanu filled her water bottle after the first set, she was able to have a quick chat with some of the spectators that were less than a metre away from her. Not that she minded. “I love playing on those smaller, outside courts where you really feel the support and the crowd gets into it,” said Raducanu, who showed no signs of a back spasm that had interrupted her preparations. “I was filling my bottle up, and I was literally having a chat in the stands, because that’s how close it is.”
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Those hoping to see the match on TV were also left disappointed as the BBC showed Sonay Kartal’s match against Daria Kasatkina instead. But Kartal, who has moved into the top 50 in the world, certainly lived up to her billing as she played one of the best matches in her career to beat the world No 16 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
“I was excited to be the first Brit on the Andy Murray Arena,” Katal said. “I think it’s an incredible court and the packed crowd was right behind me exactly when I needed it. I loved every second. It was super special.”
Having a WTA 500 women’s tournament is not the only change at Queen’s this year. For the first time, there are also no line judges. It means that when a player hits a ball out, the crowd hears pre-recorded voices collected by the Lawn Tennis Association from its members and partners. Not that it was entirely successful. Several times when the ball clattered into the net, a cry of “Out!” was heard.
For the first time, spectators have colour-coded stickers under their seats. A green sticker means they can leave while play is going on. But if they have an orange one, they can only move at the end of a game. Red means they can only do so at a change of ends or a set.
The good news for those coming to Queen’s on Tuesday is that Boulter and Raducanu will be back in action in the singles – with Boulter kicking things off against Ajla Tomljanovic before Raducanu faces Cristina Bucșa. And, yes, both matches will be on the Andy Murray Arena.
