BBC snub Emma Raducanu as Brit’s match at Queen’s not shown | Tennis | Sport
Emma Raducanu‘s opening doubles match at Queen’s Club was snubbed by the BBC, with the broadcaster electing not to show it. Raducanu teamed up with fellow British player Katie Boulter as women’s tennis returned to the London venue for the first time in over 50 years. They faced Fang-Hsein Wu and Xinyu Jiang in the first round but the match was not available to watch on terrestrial TV.
The BBC only showed the singles matches on the main court, newly renamed as the Andy Murray Arena, while Raducanu and Boulter were on Court One. As a result, those hoping to watch the British duo were left disappointed. They were taking to the court on the same side of the net for the very first time, but did not get the spotlight they might have deserved.
Isa Guha, presenting, said: “Unfortunately, we won’t be able to show you this match because we’re focused on Andy Murray Arena, but we will be bringing you updates throughout the course of the afternoon.”
Boulter spoke highly of her doubles partnership with Raducanu before the match, explaining that it had been in the works for quite some time.
She told TNT Sports: “I think myself and Emma, we’ve been wanting to play for a while now. I think we’ve talked about it a lot of times.
“Unfortunately, it just hasn’t quite happened for various reasons. I think [for the] first week on grass, to get a couple more matches is super important.
“I think we were actually here at Queen’s, practicing on the clay, and we decided we thought we’d come back and play on the grass together. It’ll be extremely special. Obviously, she’s a great player and I’m looking forward to having the first of many more.”
Raducanu, meanwhile, said: “Playing a doubles match with Katie will hopefully give me a good feel for that surface and it will be positive. I really like playing with Katie. We’ve practiced a few times together in the past at Billie Jean King Cup ties.”
The former US Open champion has been struggling with a back problem in recent weeks but will be hoping to leave it in the past as she ramps up her Wimbledon preparations.
“I got back [from Paris] last week and then I got straight back on the court,” she explained. “I had a small interruption with a bit of a back spasm again, which was a bit annoying and that hindered my grass prep.
“The last few days I have managed to get on the grass. I can’t really predict the future. I know I have been managing my back for the last few weeks now and it’s something that comes and goes.
“It can be frustrating. I try not to let it get to me because I have a pretty good feel when it happens of how to manage it. All I can do is deal with what’s in front of me.”
