New Delhi: Australian Open champion Madison Keys and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka are two high-profile stars who have confirmed their participation in the Queen’s Club Championships, where the women’s tennis will return after 52 years.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has confirmed that the tournament will be a WTA 500 event and will be held in June, traditionally viewed as a build-up tournament for Wimbledon.
Apart from Keys and Osaka, former US Open winner Emma Raducanu, defending champion Daria Kasatkina and British number one Katie Boulter are the other confirmed participants at EastBourne.
“I’m thrilled to confirm Katie, Emma, Madison, and Naomi will be headlining the Championships in June,” tournament director Laura Robson said, as quoted by Reuters.
“Fans will see some of the best female players on the planet, and with three Grand Slam champions and the British number one in the mix, it promises to be a spectacular return to The Queen’s Club for women’s tennis.”
The women’s event will be held at the Queen’s Club a week before the men’s tournament and in the first week of the grasscourt season ahead of Wimbledon.
Sabalenka, Swiatek win in Dubai
Elsewhere, Raducanu went down in the second round to Karolina Muchova 7-6 (6), 6-4 at the at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
She apparently was in tears after being hassled by an overeager fan, who had to be removed from the stands. But the former US Open champion couldn’t recover from the trauma.
She spoke to the umpire after being unable to convert any of the three break points in the sixth game of the second set, which Muchova won 6-4 to wrap up the match.
Muchova set up a clash against McCartney Kessler, who beat World No.3 Coco Gauff 6-4, 7-5, for her first victory over a top 10 ranked player.
Second seed Iga Swiatek defeated Victoria Azarenka 6-0, 6-2 to confirm a clash against Dayana Yastremska in the round of 16 while top seed Aryna Sabalenka knocked out Veronia Kudermetova 6-3, 6-4.
Defending champion Jasmine Paolini beat Eva Lys 6-2, 7-5 while Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Paula Badosa all won.
Apart from Madison Keys, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu and defending champion Daria Kasatkina are the other confirmed participants at the Queen’s Club Championships. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
