Emma Raducanu 'feels incredible' after win over Sorana Cirstea at Queen's

Britain's No. 1, seeking consistency after an uneven 2026 campaign, carried momentum from her opening win over Anna Blinkova into a rain-disrupted event that saw Thursday's schedule washed out and both last-16 and quarter-finals staged on the same day.

She started aggressively, racing into a 3-0 lead, dictating baseline exchanges and producing a cross-court dropshot that drew a smile from her coaching team before Cirstea, who had beaten her in the February Transylvania Open final, broke back and briefly threatened.

Raducanu, reversing that defeat from four months earlier, stayed composed when serving for the opening set, relying on percentage tennis to close it and halt Cirstea's momentum before sealing victory.

"It feels incredible to have come out and played how I did today against Sorana. She's a player who has been in incredible form, had some amazing wins, and reached a really high ranking," said Raducanu.

"Earlier on in the year she beat me, but I was really glad I could get her back at home as well. I had to go out there and play aggressively and dictate because otherwise she would. As soon as I took my foot off the gas in the first set, she was coming back."

She added: "The crowd's dedication was incredible to see, so when they cancelled us, I just wanted to say thank you for sticking around." 

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