British No. 1 defeated Rakhimova and Jovic on Saturday to advance to Sunday's final against Donna Vekic.
12:27 AM
Britain's Emma Raducanu reached her first grass-court final at Queen's Club on Saturday, winning twice in a single day to secure a place in Sunday's championship match.
Raducanu overcame an injury scare in the quarter-final, defeating Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3 7-5 in a weather-delayed match early on Saturday afternoon. The contest had been postponed from Friday due to heavy rain in west London. During the second set, Raducanu slipped on the slick grass and hurt her left thigh, raising concerns about her physical condition.
Less than two and a half hours after that victory, Raducanu returned to Andy Murray Arena for her semi-final against American teenager Iva Jovic, the sixth seed. She dispatched Jovic 6-2 6-2 in 1 hour and 31 minutes, dismantling the highly-rated opponent in front of a home crowd. By the time she launched into consecutive backhand and forehand down-the-line winners to secure an early break, her fitness concerns had dissipated.
Raducanu has not dropped a set on her run to the final and has beaten two players ranked in the world's top 20. The 23-year-old, who won the 2021 US Open, jumped for joy on sealing her victory against Jovic as the crowd rose to applaud her.
"It means everything to be doing it at Queen's in front of everyone, the support was electric," Raducanu told the BBC after her semi-final win. "I think this week has been incredible. I enjoy playing here and that shows on my tennis. My team and I have stuck through some tough moments in the last few months, so I want to thank them for getting me through."
Raducanu entered Queen's seeking to regain her form after a season disrupted by illness and injury. In the quarter-final against Rakhimova, she needed three match points to close out the match in a tense service game, screaming with delight as she booked her place in the semi-finals.
In Sunday's final, Raducanu will face Croatia's Donna Vekic, who defeated British number three Katie Boulter in straight sets.
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