Thursday 27 June sees the continuation of the
Eastbourne International and it is Quarter-Finals day on the South Coast of England with the Order of Play set featuring
Emma Raducanu,
Taylor Fritz,
Madison Keys facing
Karolina Muchova,
Katie Boulter and
Leylah Fernandez over the main two courts.
After a whirlwind week so far in Eastbourne, it is a draw also still full of Brits and courting attention for their top names with four alone over the ATP and WTA draw in action on Thursday. But who will take one step closer? Our preview will help decipher the ties on offer.
Raducanu and Boulter headline mid afternoon battles
As expected, Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter will have the main afternoon slots on the Centre Court back-to-back as the two leading British lights in action and the two selling points of the tournament.
Eastbourne International will be demoted from next year onwards with Queen's taking its place, but it is certainly having a good send-off at its current status. Especially for organisers who will clamour for names such as Boulter and Raducanu to fill seats for British fans who perhaps won't buy them for Pegula or Rybakina when she was entered. They have certainly got just that this week.
Raducanu produced an epic deciding set win over Jessica Pegula on Wednesday afternoon which was her first top 10 triumph against a player who has just won Berlin just this past weekend. Albeit she has played all three weeks of the grass court season in her comeback bid so perhaps playing in Eastbourne this week was a bit of a bridge too far.
Emma Raducanu (pictured) impressed yesterday with victory over Jessica Pegula.
But Raducanu now returns with a big chance of back-to-back semi-finals after reaching the same point in Nottingham losing to Katie Boulter. She will aim for another big win against Daria Kasatkina. it is a match she has played and lost before. But this was at Ostrava back in 2022 on indoor hard so perhaps doesn't count as much as a surface in which Raducanu should be more adept to.
So in reality, it likely depends more on the physical condition of the Brit who looked languid at times against Pegula while Kasatkina wiped aside Yue Yuan in the final two sets after losing the first. Katie Boulter has played all three weeks of the grass court season on the other hand.
She won in Nottingham, lost early in Birmingham and now has reached at least the Quarter-Finals in Eastbourne against third seed Jasmine Paolini who is off the back of her run to the final of Roland Garros. She barely played in her opener when she took on Elise Mertens with the Belgian handing her a walk-over. So now it is her turn to play a full match when she takes on Boulter.
Fernandez, Fritz and Muchova-Keys headline further action
Also on Brit watch, Harriet Dart opens up against Leylah Fernandez on Court One. The former saw off Sofia Kenin yesterday, but will face an uphill task against a Canadian who looked supreme against Ashlyn Krueger. Finally Billy Harris who has starred in recent weeks will face Flavio Cobolli in the ATP tournament. He opens up Centre Court.
Elsewhere, Max Purcell faces Miomir Kecmanovic. While Aleksandar Vukic takes on Yoshihito Nishioka. Both of which are in ATP Quarter-Finals. While perhaps amid all the British attention, the two matches of the day conclude proceedings on either courts.
Taylor Fritz (pictured) is top men's seed this week at the Eastbourne International.
Taylor Fritz who is top seed in the men's draw will take on Chinese qualifier and rising star, Juncheng Shang. Fritz defeated Thiago Seyboth Wild yesterday in two sets with the first being a tiebreak. Shang has come through qualifying and beat Emil Ruusuvuori in three yesterday. While Karolina Muchova continues her return to the sport against the defending champion Madison Keys.
That ends the Court 1 action and sees Muchova play three matches in three days of sorts albeit her first was only four games against Elina Avanesyan. She then saw off Magda Linette yesterday 6-4, 6-1. Keys on the otherhand wiped out a poor Head to Head record in her win taking down Anhelina Kalinina 7-6, 6-1.
Schedule Thursday 27 June - Eastbourne International
Centre Court
Starts at 11:00am
Flavio Cobolli (ITA) v (WC) Billy Harris (GBR) - ATP
Not before 12:30
Katie Boulter (GBR) v Jasmine Paolini (ITA) - WTA
(6) Daria Kasatkina v (WC) Emma Raducanu (GBR)
Not before 16:00
(1) Taylor Fritz (USA) v (Q) Juncheng Shang (CHN)
Court 1
Starts at 11:00am
(WC) Harriet Dart (GBR) v Leylah Fernandez (CAN)
Not before 12:30
(Q) Max Purcell (AUS) v Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB)
(LL) Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) v (Q) Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN)
Not before 16:00
(4) Madison Keys (USA) v Karolina Muchova (CZE)