It would’ve been easy to lose motivation and succumb to another spirited defeat against a top player after dropping the first set, but Katie Boulter responded well from a precarious position and produced some brilliant tennis en route to a three-set win over world no. 5 Jessica Pegula, clinching a new career-best singles result by ranking after their pulsating United Cup encounter.
Boulter boosts morale after holding firm for big win
Boulter bt. Pegula 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
- Boulter leaked 12 backhand unforced errors in set one and squandered three set points, but fought back from the brink with aggressive tennis to produce an inspired three-set victory over world no. 5 Pegula during tense battle just shy of three hours – her best win by world ranking
- “It could’ve gone either way, I tried to fight and it was a high-level match, I play my best tennis when I’m smiling and having fun… just had to try get over the line and eventually did,” she says in on-court interview
- Victory takes Boulter to a new career-high world no. 46 – up ten places – while improving to 2-0 in United Cup play on her tournament debut, having beaten the returning Alja Tomljanovic (6-2, 6-4) on Friday
- Taylor Fritz outlasts Cameron Norrie 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in men’s singles, before later teaming up with Pegula to beat Boulter and three-time Major champion Neal Skupski after ten-point deciding set breaker as the tournament’s defending champions snatch comeback win vs. Team GB
After two hours and 44 minutes, Katie Boulter got what she deserved and could exhale. An hour-and-a-half earlier though, things weren’t so rosy. It’s testament to her subtle improvements that she was able to produce a comeback victory and one many weren’t expecting given how the business end of the first set unfolded.
The best way to describe most of her errors were painful, because she was doing well to create opportunities behind controlled aggression and rally tolerance.
Forehand was firing, even while the backhand and serve were not, you could almost hear a collective deep breath every time she ventured towards the net.
Pegula was being pulled from left-to-right but defended well and in turn, the more composed of the pair during tighter moments. Three set points came and went without reward for the Brit, who led 5-4 before losing the next six games.
Pegula forced her into an error at the net, then hit a return ace on a weak second serve to go 6-5 up and the scoreline swelled in virtually no time at all.
Staring down a set and break deficit, all the positive reinforcement was futile unless she began hitting freely again and that’s exactly what she did.
She returned to what was working for sustained periods in set one, forcing Pegula into longer rallies and soon enough the American’s rhythm was stifled.
This time, she didn’t need all three set points to level their contest at one apiece, though you could tell the deciding set would be another battle of attrition.
Pegula was increasingly unhappy with technology – close line calls – herself at missing makeable returns in play, and indirectly Boulter who was playing far above her world no. 56 ranking suggested.
Growing agitated and naturally tired in the 32-degree Perth heat, Pegula still wasn’t afraid to try things and play bold tennis even as the scoreline favoured the Brit.
A loopy drop shot and top spin lob winner, down 4-5, 15-30 said it all, though it only briefly delayed Boulter, there was still an alarming sense of jeopardy involved.
Superb court coverage forced Pegula back, then forward and back once more to secure match point after the Nottingham champion showed great anticipation at the net, and she forced out wide to produce a match-clinching error into the net.
Update: USA rally to win United Cup tie
Former world no. 5 Taylor Fritz got off to a fast start before enduring some issues midway through his singles clash against Cameron Norrie, but held off the Brit’s first set resurgence to win 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 beyond the 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist.
Then, the 26-year-old returned less than an hour later to partner up with Pegula again, where they produced an unlikely comeback of their own against Boulter and three-time Major doubles champion Neal Skupski 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 10-7.
The result means team USA have successfully begun their United Cup defence with a 2-1 win, despite all indications suggesting the Brits would have enough to overwhelm them over the new three-rubber format as opposed to last year’s five.
GB (1-1) sit second in Group C and progression into the knockout rounds now rests on results elsewhere, with two of the six second-placed teams progressing into the knockout rounds.
Next up for the USA is a clash against host nation Australia in Group C, with Fritz vs. Alex de Minaur and Pegula vs. Ajla Tomljanovic the singles matchups slated for play on New Year’s Day from 9am BST.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via Tennis Channel
Mo and Sports 