LONDON - Donna Vekic continued her remarkable resurgence on grass courts with a commanding victory over Britain's Katie Boulter on Saturday, booking her place in the Queen's Club Championships final with an impressive display of power and precision.
The Croatian produced one of her finest performances of the season to sweep aside wildcard Boulter 6-1, 6-3, ending the British number one's hopes of reaching a home final and underlining her own credentials as a serious title contender.
Vekic was virtually untouchable on serve, surrendering just six points behind her delivery throughout the contest. Her dominance left Boulter with few opportunities to build momentum, particularly after the Briton's emotional quarter-final triumph over world number two Elena Rybakina less than 24 hours earlier.
The victory sends the 29-year-old into her first WTA Tour-level final since capturing a silver medal-winning run at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Awaiting her in Sunday's championship match will be either former US Open champion Emma Raducanu or rising American teenager Iva Jovic.
Vekic's run to the final has been one of the stories of the tournament. After suffering defeat in the final round of qualifying, she only entered the main draw as a lucky loser following Marta Kostyuk's withdrawal through injury. Since then, she has seized her unexpected opportunity in style, stringing together a series of impressive victories, including a notable win over former world number one Karolina Pliskova.
Despite arriving in London after a difficult season that saw her ranking slip to 76 in the world, Vekic has rediscovered the form that once carried her deep into Wimbledon. On the Andy Murray Arena, she embraced the role of spoiler, silencing the partisan crowd with relentless serving, crisp groundstrokes and unwavering composure.
The Croatian later revealed her special connection with the British capital, describing London as a second home. As a teenager, she spent significant time training in the city under respected British coach David Felgate, with whom she has reunited for the current grass-court campaign.
“I've been getting better with every match, and that's usually how it works on grass,” Vekic said. “The more time you spend on the surface, the more comfortable you become. I love playing on grass, and I love being in London.”
Vekic has already defeated two British players during her run, having earlier overcome teenager Mika Stojsavljevic. With confidence building and form peaking at the perfect moment, she will head into Sunday's final believing she can complete a remarkable turnaround and lift the Queen's Club title.
