Katie Boulter continued to make strides at the recent tournament, cementing her position as a formidable top 30 player. However, her strong performance in Florida came to an end as she fell to Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-1 in the fourth round of the Miami Open.
Despite unfavorable conditions with strong winds, Azarenka showed her ability to adjust and drawn upon her experience to maintain a steady performance until the very end.
Although she faced a defeat, Boulter showed excellent skills during this tournament, particularly highlighted by her strong win against Beatriz Haddad Maia, who is ranked 13th in the world. Boulter has spent most of her career as an unknown underdog competing against top players, but now she enters matches with confidence in her ability to compete with the best.
Azarenka, currently 34 years old and ranked at No. 32, finds herself worlds apart from her prime in 2012-2013 when she held the top spot in the rankings and only faced dominance on hard courts from Serena Williams. However, the two-time grand slam winner continues to deliver solid performances, occasionally making significant progress in major tournaments. In the previous round, Azarenka demonstrated her enduring skill by defeating the seventh seed, Qinwen Zheng, in straight sets.
The swift Miami courts have benefitted both players more than the sluggish hard courts at Indian Wells. However, on Monday, the persistent and strong winds proved challenging for all players, resulting in first round losses for Boulter and Azarenka.
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Although Boulter has a strong and reliable source of energy, she appeared to have difficulty adapting to the windy conditions during the first set. She consistently overhit her shots, with most errors occurring on her forehand side. In contrast, Azarenka consistently hit deep and powerful shots from both wings, slowly wearing down Boulter as she took a commanding 5-2 lead.
Credit to her, even though she lost the first set, Boulter persisted with determination. Despite being in a difficult situation, she started hitting the ball with more power as Azarenka’s nerves kicked in. Boulter managed to catch up to a 5-5 tie, saving a total of five set points. However, Azarenka’s expertise showed as she found her rhythm and won the set. With the first set behind her, the Belarusian played more freely and easily took the second set as Boulter’s mistakes got the best of her.
When circumstances align in Boulter’s favor and she is permitted to attack freely, she has proven to be a formidable player. Her ability to strike the ball with finesse is no longer a surprise. However, as shown by Azarenka, consistently performing at this level demands the same level of skill and self-control, regardless of external factors or the player’s emotional state. This remains Boulter’s debut season at the top level, and she gained a valuable lesson from a skilled champion when she left the court.
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It is likely that Boulter will stay in Miami to finish off Alex de Minaur’s tournament after defeating Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the third round of the men’s competition. However, this will be followed by her first full season on clay. As Boulter has primarily played on the ITF circuit throughout her career, she will continue to compete in lower-level tournaments on hard courts during the WTA’s clay season. This surface better suits her attacking style. At 27 years old, she has only participated in six clay-court tournaments, so there will be more opportunities for her to gain experience and improve in the upcoming months.
Had she not excelled and accumulated a decent amount of points in recent weeks, this time may have been quite nerve-wracking for Boulter. The upcoming grass season is crucial for her, as she has a significant number of points to defend. However, sitting at No. 26 in the live rankings, she can approach her matches with a sense of freedom. Additionally, as she faces top players regularly, there is no doubt she can continue to thrive and achieve even greater success.
