Katie Boulter advanced to the third round of the Miami Open after securing her first-ever victory at a WTA 1000 tournament. Her opponent, Brenda Fruhvirtova, was unable to finish their second-round match due to illness with Boulter leading 7-6 (5), 1-0.
Even after retiring, the top-ranked British player faced challenges as she fell behind 5-3 against Fruhvirtova in the first set. However, the young Czech player was forced to withdraw due to illness in the humid weather. Boulter will now compete against either the 11th seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia or Diane Parry in the following round.
Boulter stated that the situation was challenging and she sensed that the match would become even tougher. Being aware that her opponent had already played on these courts, Boulter anticipated a difficult game. This was a new experience for her and she had not encountered a similar situation in the past. While she is happy to have won the match, she would have preferred to not win in the way that it happened. Boulter recognizes her opponent’s potential and believes she will have a successful future.
After experiencing her most successful week to date, which included her first win of a WTA 500 title in San Diego at the end of February and achieving a top 30 ranking for the first time, Boulter had to quickly shift her focus two weeks ago in California, where she was defeated by Camila Giorgi of Italy in the opening round at Indian Wells. With almost two weeks to prepare between tournaments, she entered the Miami Open as the 24th seed in her first WTA 1000 event. This new status also granted her a bye for the first time in a WTA tournament.
Unfortunately, the attention on Boulter has increased even more. She is no longer seen as an underdog fighting to keep up with the top players, but rather as a top competitor that others aim to defeat. This is especially true for younger players like 16-year-old Fruhvirtova, who is one of only two players under 18 ranked in the top 140, the other being Mirra Andreeva. Fruhvirtova has achieved a 49-8 record in the past year, relying on her court smarts, impressive footwork, and powerful two-handed backhand.
Fruhvirtova wasted no time in making her intentions known, scoring a break of Boulter’s serve in the very first game of the match and maintaining a lead for most of the set. Despite the Czech player’s strong ball striking and successful returns, Boulter had a difficult time as she made several errors. Fruhvirtova reached a score of 5-3 in the first set, but just as she was about to serve for the set at 5-4, she suddenly became ill.
During the switch in sides, the Czech player requested for the doctor and physio’s assistance, but she still faced difficulties. Boulter then won three consecutive games from 3-5, causing Fruhvirtova’s team to repeatedly urge her to retire. However, Fruhvirtova showed determination and kept fighting, even pushing the set to a tie-break and giving Boulter a challenging time. Despite struggling to find her rhythm, Boulter remained composed during the crucial moments of the tie-break and narrowly won the set. With her chances of winning becoming increasingly difficult, the young Czech player ultimately decided to retire.
Later, Boulter elaborated on the challenges of playing against an opponent who may be dealing with physical limitations. She noted that her opponent’s coaches were instructing her to pull back, but she continued to play at a high level. Boulter found it mentally taxing to adjust to these changes and admitted to being harsh on herself during the match, but acknowledged that it was a learning experience.
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Dan Evans advanced to the second round of the Miami tournament on Thursday by defeating Lorenzo Sonego of Italy in a challenging match with a final score of 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. As an unseeded player making a comeback after a calf injury ended his previous season, Evans is still finding his rhythm in 2024. He will now face Chris Eubanks, the 31st seed, on Saturday.
Source: theguardian.com
