Katie Boulter promised to continue enjoying herself while competing, following her victory over Emma Navarro which secured her spot in the San Diego Open’s most significant final in her career thus far.
The British No 1, who claimed her first WTA Tour title on grass in Nottingham last summer, beat the New Yorker to book her place in the final of a WTA 500 tournament for the first time after a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Boulter has had a flying start to the year and victory against her third top-30 opponent of the week guarantees she will rise at least 14 places in the rankings to a career high of 35. She will break the top 30 if she can defeat Marta Kostyuk in the final on Sunday night – where she will be watched by her boyfriend, Alex de Minaur, who scheduled an early-morning flight after retaining his title in Acapulco.
“Today was a match where everything fell into place,” Boulter stated. “As soon as I stepped onto the court, I could sense the strength and precision in my opponent’s shots.”
I needed to find a better solution and be more assertive and take risks. I believe that was my opportunity to have faith in myself and the effort I’ve invested, and it was successful. This is the largest final of my career thus far. I will continue to enjoy myself.
Unable to reword.
Boulter mentioned that the rain delay during the match was quite difficult to handle. She noted that just a year ago, she held a lower ranking, well beyond the top 100.
“I had a sense of advantage on my side, pushing myself to stay concentrated and keep moving forward despite the rain delay. I believe I started off well and maintained that energy throughout the match, which was crucial for success today.”
Move on from the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
Kostyuk is also having one of the best weeks of her career. The 21‑year‑old from Ukraine – ranked No 34 in the world – recovered from 5-1 down in the first set to stun the American top seed, Jessica Pegula, 7-6 (4), 6-1 and secure her first win against a top‑five player.
