Chinese tennis player Guo Hannahyu and her French partner Kristina Mladenovic advanced to the women’s doubles semifinals at the WTA 500 Queen’s Club Championships after a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the unranked pair of Kamilla Rakhimova and Anastasia Zakharova on June 10 in London, according to official tournament records.
What Happened in the Quarterfinals?
The second-seeded duo of Guo and Mladenovic secured their place in the semifinals by defeating the Russian pair in straight sets during the quarterfinals of the grass-court tournament. The match, which lasted 1 hour and 15 minutes, featured strong serve-and-volley play from the Chinese-French combination, who maintained a 75% first-serve percentage and converted three of their four break points.
Guo, ranked No. 67 in the WTA doubles rankings, partnered with Mladenovic, the No. 21-ranked player, for the first time this season. Their partnership has shown promise, having reached the third round of the Madrid Open earlier this month.
Why This Victory Matters
This win marks Guo’s first WTA 500-level doubles semifinal appearance since the 2022 Lyon Open. For Mladenovic, it extends her streak of reaching the semifinals in three consecutive tournaments, a run that began at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February. The victory also boosts their chances of securing a higher seed for the upcoming Wimbledon Championships, which begins on June 27.
The Queen’s Club Championships, held at the Queen’s Club in West Kensington, London, is one of the most prestigious grass-court events on the WTA calendar. Past champions include Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, and current world No. 1 Iga Świątek, who won the singles title in 2022.
What’s Next for Guo and Mladenovic?
The semifinal match will be played on June 11, with the exact time yet to be confirmed. The opponents will be determined by the results of the other quarterfinal matches, including the all-Russian pairing of Veronika Kudermetova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who advanced to the semifinals after defeating the top-seeded duo of Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe.
Guo’s performance at Queen’s Club has been bolstered by her recent form on grass courts. She reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 Nottingham Open, a WTA 125 event, and has a 12-5 record on grass in 2024. Mladenovic, a three-time Grand Slam doubles champion, has also shown strong form, reaching the semifinals of the 2024 Stuttgart Open.
Key Statistics from the Match
Guo and Mladenovic dominated the baseline exchanges, outlasting their opponents with 32 winners to 18 unforced errors. Their net play was particularly effective, with 14 points won at the net compared to 6 for Rakhimova and Zakharova. The duo also maintained a 60% success rate on second serves, a crucial factor in their ability to close out the match.
The Russian pair, meanwhile, struggled with their first-serve percentage, which sat at 58% for the match. They converted just one of their five break points, a missed opportunity that proved costly in the second set.
Context and Historical Significance
This is the fourth time Guo has advanced to the doubles semifinals of a WTA 500 event, with her previous best showing being a quarterfinal finish at the 2021 Lyon Open. Mladenovic, who has reached the doubles semifinals at four different WTA 500 events this season, is seeking her first title of the year in 2024.
The Queen’s Club Championships has a rich history of producing Grand Slam champions. In 2023, the men’s singles champion Novak Djokovic went on to win Wimbledon, while the women’s singles champion Ons Jabeur reached the semifinals at the French Open. Guo’s potential run to the final could provide valuable preparation for her Wimbledon campaign.
How to Follow the Semifinals
The semifinal matches will be streamed live on the WTA’s official website and app, as well as on the Queen’s Club’s social media channels. Fans can also follow live updates through
