LONDON – Top seed Elena Rybakina produced a spirited comeback to defeat defending champion Tatjana Maria 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-0 and secure a place in the quarterfinals of the Queen’s Club Championships on Friday.
The former Wimbledon champion appeared on the verge of a second successive defeat to the unorthodox German veteran when she trailed 4-5 and 0-30 in the second set. However, Rybakina regained her rhythm at a crucial stage, winning eight consecutive games to complete a dramatic turnaround.
Maria, whose sliced and under-spin groundstrokes troubled Rybakina throughout the contest, had claimed victory over the Kazakh at Queen’s last year and looked capable of repeating the feat before the top seed seized control.
“I was battling with myself, but I found the way and found the rhythm,” Rybakina said after the match.
The tournament schedule remained congested after rain washed out play on Thursday, forcing players to compete in multiple matches on Friday. Rybakina was set to return to court later in the day for her quarter-final clash against Britain’s Katie Boulter.
Boulter advanced with a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 victory over Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, while Britain’s Emma Raducanu delighted home supporters by defeating seventh seed Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-2 to reach the last eight.
Raducanu was scheduled to face Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova, who battled past British wildcard Harriet Dart 5-7, 6-1, 7-5. Elsewhere, Croatia’s Donna Vekic, another lucky loser in the draw, overcame Czech player Marie Bouzkova 7-6(9), 6-3.
With rain disruptions creating a packed schedule, Queen’s Club witnessed an intense day of action as leading contenders battled to keep their title hopes alive on the London grass courts.
