Katie Boulter defeated world number 17 Linda Noskova 7–6, 6–3 in Osaka to reach the second round of the Japan Open.
British number three Katie Boulter produced a strong performance to advance to the second round of the Japan Open, defeating world number 17 Linda Noskova in straight sets. The 29-year-old won 7–6 (7–3), 6–3 in one hour and 36 minutes in Osaka, marking her first victory over a top-20 opponent since her triumph against Paula Badosa at Wimbledon in July.
Boulter showed resilience early on, with both players exchanging service breaks three times in a closely contested opening set. The Briton held her nerve in the tie-break, winning it convincingly to take control of the match. In the second set, she elevated her serving performance, winning 78% of points on serve compared to 51% in the first, and sealed victory with composed play from the baseline.
Reflecting on the win, Boulter said: “I’m really pleased with my performance today. It’s been a difficult few weeks. I just tried to bet on myself — to commit to the ball and go for it. Against someone like that, you have to win the match, because they’re not going to lose it.”
The result comes as a timely boost for Boulter, who had struggled through the summer, suffering five first-round exits in her last seven tournaments. The victory sets up a second-round clash against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, who came from behind to defeat Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 2–6, 6–4, 6–2.
Elsewhere, top seed Naomi Osaka made a strong start to her home tournament, breezing past Japan’s Sonobe Wakana 6–0, 6–4 to also reach the second round.
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