Emma Raducanu 'proud' of fighting spirit as British No. 1 pays tribute to Donna Vekic after loss in final of HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club

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Emma Raducanu believes the battling qualities shown in the second set of Sunday's HSBC Championships final defeat against Donna Vekic is a positive she can carry forward into Wimbledon later this month.

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The defeat at Queen’s Club leaves Raducanu without a title since the 2021 US Open, where she became the first qualifier to win a major singles crown during the Open era.

After being bageled inside 29 minutes of the first set, Raducanu was heard voicing in the direction of her box: "Say something. You're saying nothing."

But the British No. 1, who only reunited with coach Andrew Richardson last month, powered into a strong position in the second only to not convert set points as Vekic rallied for a 6-0 7-6(6) success.

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Speaking to reporters after the defeat, the 23-year-old said: "The performances I had this week, I played really well. I was able to play and dictate, and that's something I wasn't able to do [in the final].

"I managed to get myself back into the second set, and I'm proud of how I fought. That's not something that in the past years I've always done, so that's a positive."

The Briton will not have much of a chance to mourn the missed opportunity, as she is set to play Karolina Pliskova in the Nottingham Open on Monday.

"This week is something that deserves to be celebrated," Raducanu continued. "It's a good achievement for me and I'm proud of it. But right now, it really stings, so I'm going to let myself feel that disappointment today and then try to move on from it quickly.

"This week has been incredibly special. Playing at home is a feeling like no other. I was in awe of the atmosphere and the support I received throughout the tournament. Even though I knew I was playing at home, I still couldn't quite believe it.

"The experience exceeded anything I could have imagined. For that, I'm really grateful. It showed me just how many people are behind me and rooting for me.

"Results don't always go your way throughout a season, and you hear things written and said about you. But when you play at home, you're reminded of how much support there really is. It just trumps anything else, so that means a lot to me."

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Raducanu got off to a very poor start in front of a packed house at Queen's, as her Croatian rival held serve before taking a 2-0 lead.

Vekic's serve was proving to be too much for Raducanu to handle, helping her make it 3-0.

Raducanu struggled with her serve in the early stages of the match, producing a double fault before falling victim to an impressive backhand down the line, which handed Vekic a 4-0 advantage.

The world No. 76’s serve was imperious as she cruised into a 5-0 lead, and despite a long rally from Raducanu in the final game of the set, there was nothing she could do to stop her rival.

It was a different story in the second set, as Raducanu showed a great amount of heart to push her opponent to the limit.

Both players held serve in the opening two games, but Raducanu survived Vekic’s assault in the third before conjuring an outstanding forehand down the line to break her opponent.

Raducanu broke her opponent again shortly after, benefiting from an overhit forehand from Vekic to take a 5-2 lead.

That set the stage for Raducanu to serve for the set, but it was not meant to be. Vekic broke her rival to close the gap to 5-3 before holding serve to make it 5-4.

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Raducanu secured a set point after a superb backhand got the better of Vekic, but her opponent recovered before breaking the Briton to level things up at 5-5.

Vekic soon had two championship points, but Raducanu once again proved that she is made of tough stuff as she held serve to send it to a tie-break.

She could not send the match to a deciding set, though, as Vekic held her nerve to secure the victory.

Raducanu, who is set to move up to 31st in the WTA rankings and within the seeded spots for her home Slam, was full of praise for Vekic after she followed in the Brit's footsteps by winning as a qualifier.

"It's been an incredible week for me, making the final here, playing in my home city, in my home tournament,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview to BBC Sport.

"The support I have received all week has been incredible but I really want to take this opportunity to thank everyone.

Donna Vekic celebrates victory during the women's singles final at the HSBC Championships

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"Today was a really tough match. Donna played extremely well from the start to the finish.

"So thanks for getting me through some tough moments this week and also for helping me push back in that second set.

"What a week for you, from qualifying all the way to the title. You played really well, so all the best."

The run to the final will still be seen as a major boost for Raducanu, with Wimbledon now just two weeks away.

Vekic congratulated Raducanu after an impressive week that catapulted her back into the limelight.

"Wow, first of all congrats Emma on such a great week," Vekic said.

”You are such an incredible player and I wish you and your team all of the best for the remainder of the grass season.

"Growing up and watching the tour I was always jealous of the boys having a chance to play at this amazing club.

"I am very grateful that since last year we have had the opportunity to play here as well. Thank you to everyone who made this happen, we really enjoy it."

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