Tennis player Katie Boulter will experience a drop in the rankings, falling out of the world’s top 50, after her defeat to Marta Kostyuk in the first round of the US Open.
Boulter, who was the number one in Great Britain, has had a complicated season and admitted to feeling exhausted after her participation in Wimbledon and her subsequent trip to the United States.
He faced a difficult challenge against the number 27 seed, resulting in his first defeat in the initial round of the tournament in four years, with a score of 6-4 and 6-4.
Boulter’s only previous encounter against the Ukrainian Kostyuk took place in San Diego last spring, where she won the most important title of her career.
Although the match was close, Kostyuk made better use of her opportunities, with Boulter converting only two of her ten break points.I need to improve my service. We’ve tried many different things, but nothing quite works. I think I need to improve that part of my game. If I can fix that, everything else will sort itself out.
Katie Boulter
Three of these break points came in the final game, after Boulter, with eight double faults, managed to save five match points on her own serve, but couldn’t take the match to a deciding set.
This is a rare first-round defeat in a Grand Slam for the 29-year-old player, who had reached the second round in nine of her previous ten appearances in the main draws of major tournaments. Boulter remains optimistic about her progress, and added:In another match, Sonay Kartal was also eliminated in the first round, after being affected by cramps, which resulted in a 6-3, 1-6, and 6-1 defeat against Beatriz Haddad Maia, the number 18 seed. Kartal, known for her physical condition and good shape, suffered cramps in the third set, which made it difficult for her to even let go of the racket.You can look at the results and you’ll probably think: ‘You’re going through a tough time’.
Katie Boulter
To add more excitement, Haddad Maia also started suffering from cramps and, leading 4-0, could barely serve. However, cheered on by a group of passionate Brazilian fans, whom Kartal called “disrespectful”, she managed to cross the finish line.I’ve never lost a match due to cramps before. We’ll review everything I ate and drank to see if we can make some changes. In the last game of the second set, I knew I was starting to get cramps in my calf. When everything locks up and you have to take your thumb off the racket, it’s tough. You feel pretty helpless on the court.
Sonay Kartal
Kartal couldn’t find solace in the fact that his opponent was also suffering, commenting:
Haddad Maia took a long break in the bathroom after the second set, but Kartal denied that it had affected her, adding: “I was happy to take a breather and try to take in as much liquid as I could.” There were also defeats in their debut for Fran Jones and Billy Harris, both coming from the qualifying phase. Jones reacted after a bad start but lost 6-0, 7-5 to German Eva Lys, while Harris, who lost in the final qualifying round but received a “lucky loser” spot, was defeated 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-4, by the number 25 seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime. Harris had his chances, especially in the second set, which he led 5-3 before forcing three set points in the tie-break, but he couldn’t convert them.At that moment, you feel so much pain that you go into your little dark place and try to get through it. I wasn’t thinking about her, I was just thinking: ‘I’m going to finish the match’.
Sonay Kartal
