“Hopefully she will develop into as profitable as them and be a part of the subsequent tier of high gamers while going a bit deeper into one of many Grand Slam tournaments”
The above quote is the ultimate thought in my publish after watching then-British primary girls’s participant Katie Boulter 12 months in the past. Sadly, the 2025 season has seen slightly regression with the a lot increased profile Emma Raducanu changing her on the summit of British girls’s tennis. Nonetheless, none of that actually mattered to me after I acquired to see her play earlier this week in Tokyo.
Round ten years in the past I started to hear the title of Katie Boulter talked about by BBC Radio Leicester in sports activities bulletins or tweets. As somebody who’s proud to return from Leicester, I sat up and took discover and have adopted her profession ever since. The final 6-7 years particularly noticed her climb the rankings and enter the highest 30 on the earth however she’s slipped right down to the 60s now. It’s definitely not the place she needs to be however continues to be fairly spectacular to me.
The identical birthplace as me albeit a number of years later!!
There have been two days of qualification motion final weekend (October 18-19) for some gamers to attempt to attain the primary spherical of the Toray Pan Pacific Open (TPPO) match. Fortunately Boulter received her match on Saturday towards Anna Blinkova which means I’d positively get to see her play the next day after I’d be in attendance.
With tickets obtainable at no cost, the group inside the ten,000 seater Ariake Coliseum was greater than traditional for the primary few days of the match however nonetheless a protracted, good distance from full capability. Australia’s Kimberly Birrell was all that was standing in the best way of her coming into the primary match draw.
On a sunny morning with the sector open to the weather, issues didn’t begin too nicely for “our Katie” who was 4-1 down early on.
9 of one of the best! I took method too many footage!
Mild spits of rain had begun to fall within the fifth sport and the match director determined to halt proceedings while the lights had been switched on, the roof was closed and the court docket was wiped dry by a number of workers together with the ball girls and boys.
The primary set was just about accomplished and dusted when play resumed however Boulter recovered a bit and went down 6-3 earlier than bouncing again within the second to degree it up at one set a chunk.
I misplaced depend of the ups and downs in addition to the breaks of serve within the last set because the pendulum of benefit swung forwards and backwards many instances. It actually was an absolute epic which lasted over three hours earlier than going to a tie-break. Fortunately that wasn’t really too tense as Boulter received it pretty comfortably.
As soon as it was sport, set and match I moved shortly right down to the entrance with the hope and expectation of assembly her once more as soon as she’d accomplished her interview and knocked some signed balls into the stands. Nonetheless, as a result of lengthy period of the match the organisers had been eager to get the subsequent two gamers out so Boulter took her bag to the center of the court docket for the interview and thus bypassed the massive variety of folks ready for an autograph or selfie. She did finally do a few of that within the nook by the gamers tunnel however I used to be by no means going to have the ability to get by way of the crowds that had gathered for a chunk of her.
If that wasn’t sufficient at no cost, I used to be then very completely satisfied as rising German star Eva Lys was on court docket subsequent and I might see her for the primary time. Admittedly, I’m fairly a brand new fan of hers having heard her title talked about a good quantity within the tennis media in current instances albeit extra for the web abuse she receives after shedding matches. I did some analysis about her precise tennis performances then and have seen some restricted highlights since then so was eager to see her in motion in real-time.
Her match towards Victorija Golubic was additionally a carefully fought contest however not fairly as neck and neck because the earlier one. Lys finally reigned supreme to win 6-3, 7-6.
Having not been in a position to meet Boulter I actually was anticipating precisely the identical with Lys however she was summoned by a number of different followers and did come over. Not solely did I get a selfie however I really spoke to her for some time while she signed autographs and posed for others round me.
Unbelievably, and slightly unfairly, Boulter and Lys then confronted off towards one another within the opening match of Day 1 which was performed with the roof on to a reasonably sparse crowd.
Boulter had had slightly further time to get well however had participated in a much more grueling encounter, and it confirmed as she was outclassed. She nonetheless managed to supply some great factors however was clearly drained from the day past. Me too! It’s laborious work sitting down and watching pictures trip!!
The most effective photograph I might get this 12 months of Katie and I collectively!!
In case you’ve ever questioned what these good TV pictures of gamers sitting down within the break are like, then the next photograph reveals you the fact of a bored cameraman simply pointing a digicam in her course and virtually being embarrassed to take a look at her himself!
After the highs of the day past, it was one thing of a battle to get into this match which was finally a bit too one sided with Lys successful it 6-2, 6-1.
Eva Lys was then on the flawed finish of that very same scoreline within the following spherical towards Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko. Seeing Boulter and Lys play twice every was nice however there have been some even greater highs to return on the opposite days I used to be current on the 2025 TPPO.
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Click on on the hyperlinks under to examine earlier tournaments:
TPPO 2024 TPPO 2023 TPPO 2022 TPPO 2015 TPPO 2014 TPPO 2013 TPPO 2012 TPPO 2010