Emma Raducanu suffers injury scare before Nottingham Open semi-final suspended over wet surface

The wet weather means the first semi-final between Diane Parry and Karolina Pliskova needs to start before the semi-final between Raducanu and Boulter resumes.

Then the final can be played after a suitable break.

After winning the set, Raducanu tells the umpire that the court is too wet. The tournament referee comes out and wipes her hand on the court.

Raducanu takes a seat and the referee walks over to Boulter and tells her that one side of the court is more slippery than the other and says they don’t want to take any risks so they are suspending the match.

Boulter first serve unreturned by Raducanu, 12-13. Raducanu first serve unreturned by Boulter, 13-13.

Boulter forehand long, 14-13. Cat and mouse rally, Raducanu comes out on top with an overhead winner, 15-13.

The crowd are getting full value for their patience on another trying day in Nottingham with this epic battle of the Brits.

It’s not an easy shift though. One woman is huddled under a light blue blanket in a woolly hat with just her nose showing.

Can’t blame her.

Raducanu nets a drop shot, 9-10. Boulter double fault, 10-10. She can’t believe it. Boulter forehand into the net, 11-10. Fourth set point for Raducanu…

Mis-hit by Raducanu, the ball sits up nice for Boulter, who whips a lovely forehand into the corner for a winner, 11-11.

Boulter goes long with a forehand, 12-11. Brilliant serve by Boulter down the T, 12-12.

Nothing to separate these two women.

Boulter forehand winner, 6-7. She then misses with a backhand to waste a set point, 7-7. Unreturned Raducanu serve down the T, 8-7. 

Raducanu backhand return long, 8-8. Backhand approach by Boulter isn’t good enough and that allows Raducanu to make the forehand pass, 9-8. Wow. Incredible forehand down the line by Boulter catches the angle of tramline and baseline, 9-9.

On we go…

Huge relief around Centre Court that Raducanu’s slip didn’t lead to anything worse than a quick sit-down and drink.

The physio was called but when Raducanu rose from her chair, not needing attention there was a warm round of applause.

Defensive Boulter backhand goes wide, 3-4. Raducanu’s movement seems to be OK…

Boulter double fault, 4-4. Backhand by Boulter drifts wide, 5-4. Four points in a row for Raducanu.

Boulter hits back with a forehand winner, 5-5. Raducanu gets low and crushes a backhand winner, 6-5. 

Big first serve, high Raducanu return and Boulter puts away the drive forehand winner easily, 6-6.

Drop shot by Boulter, Raducanu chases down the ball but her flicked shot down the line is called out, 0-1. Raducanu looks unconvinced by the ball. Raducanu forehand long, 0-2. Boulter forehand return into the net, 1-2.

Another forehand long by Raducanu, 1-3. Boulter forehand winner wrong foots Raducanu, who slips awkwardly, 1-4.

She calls for the physio to look at her left knee. The last thing she needs is another injury. But Raducanu decides to carry on without the physio and on the next point strikes a nice forehand into the corner, 2-4.

Fitting that this evenly fought first set goes to a tie break as Raducanu holds to 15 when Boulter dumps a backhand into the net.

Now the pressure will ramp up!

Boulter continuing to look very calm and composed on her serve at the moment as she moves to 40-15. Raducanu will be frustrated by the amount of returns she has failed to get back into play.

But a backhand into the net by Boulter opens the door slightly for Raducanu at deuce. Boulter though responds to the pressure, finding her first serve to see out the game.

Great hustle by both players but Raducanu comes out on top. Great return by Boulter, Raducanu some how gets the ball back and Boulter races for the short ball and hits drop shot. But she doesn’t do enough because Raducanu chases it down and flicks a backhand into the open court for a winner, 30-15.

Raducanu forehand down the line is too hot for Boulter and she holds serve.

Back-to-back love holds for Boulter. Raducanu is struggling to read the direction of the British No 1’s serve. Pressure now on Raducanu to hold serve and prolong the set.

Raducanu appears to have the upper hand when the rally goes beyond five shots. Her backhand is holding up well with the low bounce on the grass court. Raducanu holds to 15.

Love hold for Boulter. Still waiting for the match is come alive but as we enter the business end of the set, the tension should increase.

Both players are performing solidly without taking control and dominating.

Raducanu under a little bit of pressure here as she slips to 0-30 with a double fault. She gets back into the game when Boulter pushes a backhand long but faces two break points when a backhand is called long. Raducanu questions it but the call stands.

Boulter wastes the first break point with a forehand return into the net. And Raducanu saves the second when she takes charge of the point, moving Boulter right then left before Boulter’s defensive backhand flies wide.

Big roar of ‘come on’ by Raducanu as she holds onto her serve.

One of the stories at the Nottingham Open this week has been contentious line calls. In back-to-back points, Raducanu and Boulter glance at the line judges over close calls.

Break point for Raducanu after a brilliant backhand winner. Boulter responds with a great wide serve which Raducanu fails to get back into play.

That gets the crowd going. Super rally by both players. Longest of the match and Raducanu earns another break point when Boulter nets a backhand. But once again Boulter responds with a timely first serve that’s unreturned.

And the British No 1 comes through that scare to hold serve and maintain her lead.

Serve is king at the moment as Raducanu holds to love quickly. Raducanu’s slightly tweaked serve has started very strongly.

Back to back aces from Boulter takes her to 40-15. Although they have never met each other in a match, they have practiced together at the Billie Jean King Cup.

So they will know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Raducanu follows Boulter with a hold to 30. Slightly subdued atmosphere with the match yet to catch fire.

Confident start by Bouler, as she holds to 30, with a couple of unreturned serves helping her along the way.

Both player looking to tee off on their forehand side early on.

After a lot of delays due to rain, we are about to get underway in Nottingham in what should be a fascinating match.

Will be very interesting to see who gets the most support…

Hello and welcome to coverage from the Nottingham Open as Emma Raducanu takes on Katie Boulter in a ‘Battle of Britain’ clash.

Raducanu reached her first semi-final since 2022 after Fran Jones withdrew from their quarter-final earlier today due to a shoulder injury.

Raducanu has looked in good form on her return after a six-week hiatus to prepare for the grass-court season, beating Ena Shibahara and Daria Snigur on her way to the last eight.

That set up an all-British blockbuster between Raducanu and defending champion Boulter. Boulter won her quarter-final on Friday as she looks to retain the title she won last year.

Jones was on court on Friday afternoon ready to play Raducanu before rain forced play to be abandoned for the day and she woke up on Saturday and chose to withdraw.

Jones said: “Unfortunately today I’ve had to withdraw from what was an exciting match with Emma.

“Hopefully everyone can understand that with the big events coming up, I’m not in a position to be taking many risks especially with my last couple of years.

“I think it’s a massive shame, I’ve really enjoyed playing this week and I’ve played at a good level, but I need to continue to think big picture which has got me into the place I’m in so far this year.”