Katie Boulter warned her remaining rivals in the Japan Open “I’ve got nothing to lose” after turning in a ruthless display to make the semi-finals. The 28-year-old dominated proceedings against former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, winning 6-2 6-1.
The ninth seed will now face Sofia Kenin on Saturday for a place in the final, as she bids to end her best career season on a high.
Should she prevail against the American in Tokyo, Boulter will face either top seed Qinwen Zheng or Diana Shnaide for the title, and after seeing off her Canadian opponent was bullish about her chances of going all the way.
“Credit to me and my team, we keep pushing and we’ve worked really hard through the Asian swing,” she told Sky Sports. “It’s starting to pay off. I feel like it’s it suits me out here. It’s the end of the year and I’ve got nothing to lose.
“I’m swinging out here, having a smile on my face and I’m just proud of myself and my team for continuing to push me all the way through until the end of the season. That’s something I haven’t been able to do before, because of my body, so I’m very proud and I’m very happy to be here in the semi-finals.”
Andreescu has struggled for form ever since exploding onto the scene in 2019 by winning as a teenager at Flushing Meadows, now ranked No. 159 in the world. But Boulter was still delighted at the manner of her clinical display.
“I just wanted to come out and enjoy it,” said the British No.1 “Everything was kind of clicking and, apart from the first service game, everything was really good. The last couple of months I felt like I was very close, but I just wasn’t quite there.”
Boulter is now out to cap a season which has seen her land her first WTA 500 title, winning the San Diego Open in March. She also retained her Nottingham Open title ahead of Wimbledon this summer.
Furthermore, the Leicestershire-born star made the main draw of all four Grand Slam events for the first time since turning professional. She exited at the second round stage in three of them, only falling at the first hurdle at the French Open.
Her campaign won’t end in Tokyo though, regardless of whether she makes the final. Boulter has been named in the British team for November’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which take place in Malaga from November 13-20.
Emma Raducanu, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and doubles specialist Olivia Nicholls have also been selected by captain Anne Keothavong. They’ll kick off their campaign with a first-round tie against Germany.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk