Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu’s blossoming doubles partnership came to an end today, as they lost to top seeds Erin Routliffe and Ljudmyla Kitschenok at Queen’s Club.
The pair, dubbed ‘Boultercanu’ by tennis fans, lost their quarter-final match-up 6-2 7-5 against the Australian and Ukrainian duo.
The pairing had breezed past their first-round opponents – a match which angered fans due to Boulter and Raducanu not being televised by the BBC.
However, an unexpected opponent attempted to halt the British duo in their pursuit of the title.
Katie Boulter panics as bee lands on wristband
The unlikely opponent was adorned yellow and black when it landed directly on Katie Boulter’s white wristband during the duo’s quarter-final.
Boulter can be seen discussing pre-point plans with partner Raducanu before noticing the bee, jumping back, and attempting to shake it off.
However, the pesky insect would not budge. After a failed attempt to remove the animal with her racket, the world number 34 was forced to take off her entire wristband.
The bee was then picked up in a towel and removed by staff at the championships.
Tennis fans find humour in Boulter’s ordeal
Despite the evident shock displayed by Boulter, tennis enthusiasts spared no time racing to social media to joke about the situation.
One user said: “I’ve heard of switching to plan-Bee, but that’s ridiculous,” whilst another added: “Nature’s way of asking for a doubles partner.”
Another said: “Bee gone with you!”
One user praised the British duo for their resilience throughout the loss, saying: “Tough loss for Boulter and Raducanu in the Queen’s Club quarters! They fought hard, but Kichenok and Routliffe came out on top. Still proud of their effort!”
Despite the disappointing result, both Boulter and Raducanu have opportunities to progress in the singles draw.
On Thursday, Boulter will face Rebecca Šramková in the round of 16, while Raducanu faces fifth seed Diana Schneider.