Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter’s run at Queen’s Club came to an end after they were beaten 6-2 7-5 by Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe.
The British pair were 5-2 down in the first set when Raducanu offered up two double faults, which handed her opponents set point with Boulter unable to save Kichenok’s backhand return.
Raducanu and Boulter managed to claim an opening hold in the second set but their struggles against the tournament’s No 1 seeds continued to show.
Raducanu was able to rescue two break points while trailing 2-1, but Routliffe and Kichenok would not be denied as they sealed the crucial break to open up the second-set advantage.
Having trailed 4-1, a break for the British duo did arrive to reduce the deficit to 4-3 before they followed up with a hold of serve to level the set.
Then came the decisive moment in the contest as Kichenok and Routliffe salvaged three break points from 0-40 to hold for 5-4 before converting the third of three match points two games later.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
