The crowd at the Andy Murray Arena witnessed a unique scene during the match between Emma Raducanu and Kamilla Rakhimova at the HSBC Championships. Suddenly, the evenly contested match had to be paused during the fifth game, but the reason had nothing to do with what happened on the court.

As Raducanu was preparing to serve out the fifth game, several RAF planes flew by over the stadium, and the loud engine noise distracted the Brit. It was not a random occurrence; it was part of the “Trooping the Color” tradition, a military celebration in the UK wherein the royal family marks the sovereign’s birthday. The celebration traditionally happens in June, and because the Queen’s Club is on the route to Buckingham Palace, it was no surprise that the planes flew over the court as Raducanu’s match was underway.

At first, Raducanu, slightly perplexed by the proceedings, approached the chair umpire to inform her of the matter. But as the Brit pointed toward the sky and tried to explain what had happened, a large group of fighter planes appeared and flew over, cheered by the audience and Raducanu.

While the planes were flying in the sky, the former World No. 10 was struggling to get started on the court. Even after getting an early break of serve in the first set, the Brit could not hold on, with the set being at parity at 2-2. However, with the crowd behind her, Raducanu broke back once more and this time took care of her own service games, winning the set 6-3. Raducanu led 3-1 and 5-4 in set two but dropped serve; Rakhimova tied 5-5. Raducanu held to close 7-5.

The win took Raducanu to a semifinal at Queen’s Club, but rain marred her schedule, meaning the Brit had little time to celebrate.

Raducanu goes back-to-back at Queen’s Club on the same day

With typical British weather affecting play at Queen’s Club, the pre-tournament schedule has gone up in smoke, forcing players to play multiple matches on the same day. This is the challenge Raducanu faces after her win over Rakhimova: she now has to play sixth-seeded Iva Jovic in the semifinal on the same day, while the American gets an extra day of rest.

Raducanu brushed off early-season struggles with wins over Blinkova and in-form Sorana Cirstea. However, back-to-back matches on the same day test Raducanu, who missed the clay season recovering from a viral illness.

If she wins the semifinal, Raducanu will probably face Katie Boulter or Donna Vekic. The tournament organizers will hope both British players make it to the title clash, as it will be a big draw, with people flocking to the arena to support players. That will be some relief for the broadcaster and the organizers, as Serena Williams, the biggest ticket of the event, could not continue her campaign after her doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, retired because of an injury.

Fans resented Williams’ preferential court and broadcast treatment over Raducanu and Boulter. But if the final is an all-British affair, the fans will feel well compensated.