Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter teamed up at Queen's on Tuesday, but their doubles match was not broadcast by the BBC, sparking fan outrage. Meanwhile, John McEnroe left Tim Henman squirming after asking him about a Wimbledon wildcard for Maja Chwalinska.
Raducanu and Boulter Snubbed by BBC
Raducanu, 23, was in doubles action with fellow British star Katie Boulter against Storm Hunter and Shuai Zhang. However, the BBC chose to prioritize Serena Williams' return to competitive tennis after 1,376 days. Williams, 44, and her partner Victoria Mboko, 19, defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Erin Routliffe 7-6 (2) 6-2. Raducanu and Boulter's match was only visible to fans on court one, with no additional streams available. Fans took to social media to express frustration, with one saying: 'Really disappointing that the BBC isn't showing the Emma/Katie doubles match because they can only broadcast Andy Murray Arena at Queens.' Another added: 'Why aren't the Brits on the best court? Disgraceful. Oh hang on, it's the Serena Williams show.'
Henman Left Squirming by McEnroe
Tim Henman was put on the spot by John McEnroe following Maja Chwalinska's shock run to the French Open final. The Polish qualifier, 24, who was beaten by Mirra Andreeva, rose from 114th to 21st in the world rankings. However, she may still need to qualify for Wimbledon due to the six-week cut-off. McEnroe, aware of Henman's role on the Wimbledon committee, asked him directly: 'I have just the person to talk to over here... I'm thinking that she would be absolutely perfect after what she's accomplished here. A fellow left-hander, to get a wildcard, and you could be the first to say so, on TNT.' Henman jokingly tried to leave, but Chwalinska said: 'Oh my god, John is on my side!' Henman replied: 'I couldn't agree with you more, John.'
Raducanu's Singles Victory
Earlier, Raducanu secured a commanding 6-0 6-3 win over Russian qualifier Anna Blinkova, a stark contrast to her early exit at the French Open. Day three will see Mboko in singles action and second seed Amanda Anisimova begin her campaign.
