The role of leading lady is not always a comfortable one but for Katie Boulter it has proved the perfect fit. Since winning her first WTA Tour title in Nottingham last summer to finally return to the top 100, the 27-year-old has set about showing that she belongs at the highest level.
There have been multiple wins over top-20 players, including a career-best against the then world number five Jessica Pegula, a first hard-court title in San Diego and, earlier this month, the successful defence of her Nottingham crown.
Battling a cold and in miserable weather that forced multiple delays, Boulter gritted her way through long matches, including a fierce battle against Emma Raducanu, before beating Karolina Pliskova in the final in her second match of the day.
Yesterday Boulter beat Petra Martic in the first round of the Rothesay International in Eastbourne – she raced ahead and then battled back from 5-1 down in a tense second-set tiebreak to progress 6-1 7-6 (8). “That was a little stressful, a little bit more dramatic than I hoped it would be,” said Boulter, who will face 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the last 16.
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