Raducanu through at Queen's and will be British number one

Emma Raducanu swept aside Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova to reach the quarter-finals at Queen's and will regain her place as British number one for the first time in two years.

The Briton was largely untroubled against world number 41 Sramkova, winning 6-4 6-1 on a packed Andy Murray Arena.

The 22-year-old smiled between points after overcoming a wobble in the first set where she lost four games in a row while trying to seal the opener.

Raducanu is the last Briton standing at the first women's tournament at Queen's since 1973 after compatriots Katie Boulter and Heather Watson exited in the last 16 earlier on Thursday.

Watson lost 6-4 6-2 to 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, while Boulter fell 2-6 6-3 6-2 to Diana Shnaider and will now relinquish her title as British number one, which she has held since June 2023.

Raducanu, who will face top seed Zheng Qinwen or American McCartney Kessler next, only had to equal Boulter's run at Queen's to overtake her when the official rankings are updated on Monday.

She earned the position after winning the US Open in 2021 but slipped down the rankings after a period of inconsistent form and injury struggles in 2023, when Boulter replaced her.

The rivalry for top spot is perhaps not all that intense, though, as Raducanu wrote "long live Boultucanu" - a nod to their doubles partnership - on the camera lens after her victory, with the pair clearly firm friends.

This week, Raducanu has looked relaxed and largely in control, coming through both of her matches in straight sets and taking part in some doubles action alongside compatriot Boulter for the first time.

She has quickly made the west London tournament feel like home and that was no different on Thursday as she took in the adulation from the crowd.

A dream start for Raducanu left her serving for the set at 5-0 but what had looked like a stroll in the park quickly turned uncomfortable as she lost the next four games.

Serving for the set again at 5-4 she eventually shut out with a love hold to a huge ovation from the Queen's crowd, and wearing a slightly sheepish grin as she walked to her chair.

The second set followed a similar pattern, with Raducanu dictating points and earning a triple break of serve.

This time she did not allow Sramkova back in, sealing victory in style and thanking the crowd for their "roar of support" in her on-court interview.

Raducanu has spoken this week about how she is feeling free to express herself on court and how this makes her more creative.

She has been boosted for the grass season by the return of her former coach Nick Cavaday to her team, to work alongside Mark Petchey, and has said she is feeling more settled as a result.

That seems to be shining through on the court, where she was also helped on occasion by some lucky net cords that left Sramkova shaking her head in frustration.

"I am really pleased to get through that," Raducanu said. "I don't think it was my cleanest performance but I am really pleased to push through in the tight moments. I really appreciate the support in that spell when she was coming back.

"I came out ready, expecting everything. I am just happy I was able to get off to a good start and build a lead."

Boulter may have sat at the top of British women's tennis for two years but, with Raducanu looking back to somewhere near her best, we could see the two battling for the top spot in British women's tennis on a regular basis.

Boulter is looking forward to the challenge.

"It's going to be fun for me to chase her now, and I think she's been doing that for a while. Now it's kind of my turn," she said.

"I'm very happy for her to be British number one."

Boulter, who won the title in Nottingham this time last year, had been trying to reach a seventh quarter-final on grass.

There were plenty of positives to take in a first set which she said featured "some of the best grass court tennis" she has played.

She continually caused problems behind her first serve - something she had suggested she would be working on in the build-up to this match after struggles earlier this week - and went a double break up on her way to taking the first set.

But by the time the umpire suspended play because of a downpour, Boulter was down a break at 4-1 in the second set and in trouble on serve again.

After a 20-minute rain delay, she returned to have her serve broken for a second time and, despite recovering one break, she could not prevent Shnaider from forcing a deciding set.

Boulter once again came under pressure in the opening game, wiping out three break points to secure the hold as problems on serve returned with a vengeance.

She saved more break points in her next service game, only to double-fault and concede the break.

From there, Boulter struggled to regroup and went down a double break.

She could not find a way back as Shnaider set up a meeting with American second seed, and Australian Open champion, Madison Keys.