'What a match' – Boulter beats Raducanu in Nottingham Open semis to book Pliskova final

Katie Boulter beat Emma Raducanu in their all-British Nottingham Open semi-final on Sunday afternoon, 6-7(13) 6-3 6-4.

The first set was a tight one, played out on Saturday afternoon before a rain delay caused the remainder of the contest to be delayed until Sunday.

Raducanu had slipped and fallen on Saturday, appearing to hurt her knee on the wet surface before the action was halted.

Despite that setback, she eventually took the set on a tie-break, 15-13, after 80 minutes on the court. Boulter failed to convert three set points before Raducanu finally finished the job.

On Sunday afternoon, with the weather continuing to squall, the pair belatedly returned to the court to resume their intriguing battle.

The players swapped service games until Boulter picked up a crucial break in the seventh game. Raducanu defended three break points but could not pull off the same trick a fourth time and surrendered the advantage.

Boulter made no mistake in the following game, following up on her break with a faultless service game. With Raducanu serving to stay alive in the set, she was forced to defend another break point but still could not stop Boulter converting at the second time of asking.

After 123 minutes on the court, and nearly 24 hours since the match had begun, Boulter and Raducanu headed into a decisive third set. It was no less tightly contested. Boulter threatened an early break but Raducanu defended two break points to hold serve.

Boulter continued to press in the sixth game, forcing a desperate Raducanu to defend three break points. The world No. 209 did so twice, but failed on the third as she once again surrendered a vital lead. At 4-2 up, Boulter could sense victory.

From nowhere, Raducanu found another gear and broke back in the next game to love. The 2021 US Open champion failed to build on her break, though, dropping the following game to go 5-3 down in the final set.

But Raducanu was not going away and she summoned another break right when she needed it. With Raducanu serving to level the match, Boulter once again showed her quality as an excellent forehand finished the match in her favour.

Speaking after her win, Boulter said: “Honestly I think I am going to need a little defibrillator out here soon because my heart rate is so high right now but what a match.

“What an incredible player and I know she is only going to get better and better.

“She makes it so tough for you to close it out, I am just really happy to get through today. I am proud of myself.

“Honestly it has been a really tough week for me, it has not been easy to get myself over the line.

“It is always tough coming back as defending champion, I have actually never done it before so this is the first time for me but so far it is going pretty good.

“I just need you guys to get me over the line in the next one.”