Katie Boulter’s poor form continues at majors as British No 1 crashes out of Australian Open
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British No1 Katie Boulter continued her poor form at the majors as she lost in three sets to Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova. Despite her privileged status as a seed at the last four grand slam tournaments, Boulter has collected a feeble tally of three wins across the whole quartet.
The sequence of let-downs started in Paris when she threw away a 6-4, 4-2 lead against Paula Badosa, then coming back from injury and ranked No 139. At Wimbledon, she was 6-2 up against long-time British rival Harriet Dart – ranked 100 at the time – in the deciding-set tie-break, only to lose eight of the final 10 points.
In New York, Boulter was never really in her second-round match against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro – then the world No 74 – and admitted afterwards that “I played that match not wanting to lose rather than trying to win”. Finally, here in Melbourne, she could not get over the line despite being the better player in the second set and the early stages of the third.
Crucially, Boulter wasted a break point at 1-1 in the decider, and then a 0-30 situation two games later. Like a football team which has dominated possession yet repeatedly struck the woodwork, she opened herself up to being hit on the break. And that is exactly what happened. As world No 75, Kudermetova rediscovered her timing, Boulter gave up the last four games in a rush on the way to a demoralising 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-2 defeat.
