Katie Boulter, the top-ranked British player, achieved her inaugural WTA 500 tournament triumph by defeating Ukrainian opponent Marta Kostyuk 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 in the finals of the San Diego Open.
After a relatively even beginning, the Ukrainian, who is ranked sixth, started to outplay Boulter. They continuously won consecutive games and quickly approached securing the first set.
Boulter made a comeback and tied the set 5-5, but Kostyuk regained control and won the first set 7-5. In the second set, Boulter improved and was strong on her first serve, winning 6-2 and forcing a third set to determine the winner.
The British player maintained her dominance in the third set, earning the first break point which led to a 3-1 lead. She broke again in the seventh game and went on to secure the win after two hours and 13 minutes.
Cannot reword.
“I would like to express my gratitude towards my boyfriend,” she stated. “He completed work last night until midnight and I want to publicly acknowledge him. He took a 4:15AM taxi this morning and a 6:00AM flight to be here today, and for that, I am truly thankful.”
Both females achieved their inaugural WTA Tour championships in the previous year during their successful 2023 campaigns.
Boulter won her first grass court title at the Nottingham tournament last summer, while Kostyuk was victorious in Austin.
Ignore the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
Boulter is off to a great start in the 2024 season and her win against Kostyuk ensures she will enter the top 30 rankings for the first time.
Source: theguardian.com
