WASHINGTON, July 17, 2020 (by Michael Dickens)
Don’t blame Katie Boulter. She showed up at this week’s Progress Tour Women’s Championships at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, England, healthy at last – and has merely taken advantage of her opportunities.
While the pre-tournament focus was on the upper-echelon of English tennis – No. 14 Johanna Konta, No. 50 Heather Watson and No. 146 Harriet Dart – by the start of the tournament on Tuesday, each of the British Top Three were sidelined by indecision to play (Konta) or injury (Watson, Dart). Add to that, No. 254 Katie Swan, a late-edition wild card who became the tournament favorite by default, retired during her first group-play match and withdrew with a right hip injury.
On Thursday, the 374th-ranked Boulter, who missed much of the 2019 season with a spinal stress fracture after a career-best ranking of 82nd, won her third straight Premier Tier group-play victory by defeating No. 289 Jodie Burrage, 6-3, 7-6 (5). It took her six match points to put away Burrage but she did it with her third service ace. Boulter finished group play 3-0 to top Group Anne Keothavong while the loss dropped Burrage to 2-1. Both are through to Friday’s semifinals.
Next, Boulter will face her best friend, No. 643 Freya Christie (1-1), while Burrage will face tournament organizer and 569th-ranked Alicia Barnett (3-0), who finished on top of Group Elena Baltacha. Barnett defeated Christie, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to remain undefeated.
Barnett, Boulter, Burrage & Christie are the final four at @TheProgressTour Women’s Championships.
Christie’s hitting heavy forehands. Barnett’s competing with a great mentality. And Boulter vs Burrage lived up to expectations as they went toe to toe to see who topped the group.
— Abigail Johnson (@abigailtennis) July 16, 2020
“I knew there were going to be challenges, but it was a good match for me to play before tomorrow,” said Boulter, a native of Leicester, during a post-match interview with BBC Sport. “I’ll be ready to play.”
Boulter, who is playing her first competitive matches in 19 weeks, has enjoyed her experience this week at the Progress Tour event. She said that while she’s “not match tight,” she’s used her time off the tour to stay fit and prepared. “Hopefully, it will get better and better.”
The 23-year-old Boulter, who compiled a 9-5 win-loss record earlier this year before the coronavirus lockdown, looks forward to seeing everyone healthy as the WTA Tour readies to restart next month. “Everyone is in the same boat,” she said, quoted by the LTA website. “It’s going to be interesting to see what people look like when everyone comes back on tour and what kind of shape they’re all in, and did they put the work in. That part of it is going to be very interesting. I think everyone will definitely be appreciative to be back out there and just playing tennis and back in a competitive environment.”
“It’s just a question of my body getting used to playing these matches day in, day out because that’s what I’m going to have to do when I’m back on tour.”
Catch up with the @TheProgressTour as @KatieBoulter1 maintains her unbeaten run 👉 https://t.co/tWc0SiTX9T pic.twitter.com/EjWbHYyteu
— LTA (@the_LTA) July 16, 2020
Top Seed Open draws a true top seed
The Top Seed Open has landed Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who previously committed to the US Open next month, saying she “cannot wait” to return to play at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flush Meadow, N.Y., will re-start her season in Lexington, Ky., at the Top Seed Open, a WTA International hard court event that begins on August 10.
The Top Seed Open will be the first match play for Williams since representing the U.S. in the Fed Cup in Everett, Wash., in February, where she beat Jelena Ostapenko and lost to Anastasija Sevastova.
Very excited to team up with the @WTA and have professional tennis in the Bluegrass(for the first time ever). We look forward to having @serenawilliams, @SloaneStephens, and more to come at the inaugural Top Seed Tennis Open. https://t.co/ZTm2CPiDlH
— Top Seed Tennis Club (@TopSeedTennisKY) July 16, 2020
Draw your own conclusions but …
Although neither has declared their intentions for next month’s US Open, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been working out on hard courts while No. 2 Rafael Nadal has been favoring clay. Could it mean that each will restart their 2020 seasons on different continents? Draw your own conclusions for now.
Neither world No. 1 @DjokerNole or No. 2 @RafaelNadal have made a formal decision on playing the US Open.
But one has been spotted training on hard courts.https://t.co/k4HAON8LaU
— TENNIS (@Tennis) July 16, 2020
Dimitrov now negative
Grigor Dimitrov, who was the first player to test positive for Covid-19 after playing in last month’s ill-fated Adria Tour in Serbia and Croatia, announced Thursday he has tested negative for the coronavirus.
EleVen by Venus – She’s back!
While Venus Williams, who recently turned 40, readies to make her World TeamTennis season debut with the Washington Kastles on Friday, her clothing line – EleVen by Venus – has a new advertising campaign. “As an athlete and a professional tennis player, I hope to inspire to get out, be active and stay healthy,” she says. “Strong, courageous, unapologetic, bold and confident” are key themes that play out during the 30-second spot. The ads are airing during World TeamTennis broadcasts on CBS Sports Network and ESPN2.
A near-perfect sweep for the Breakers
In World TeamTennis, a match consists of five sets (men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles). First to win five games wins each set and home team coach gets to pick the order of the sets for each match. So, a perfect match for a team would be achieved by scoring 25 points (1 point for each game won). On Thursday afternoon at The Greenbrier, the Orange County Breakers enjoyed a near-perfect sweep of the Vegas Rollers, winning 25-13. Gaby Dabrowski contributing to the victory with set wins in both mixed doubles and women’s doubles. She teamed with Andrea Klepac for a 5-0 shutout over Monica Puig and Kristie Ahn in women’s doubles. It was the first win of the season for Orange County.
#WTT2020: @GuaranteedRate Player of the Match @GabyDabrowski joined @OliviaDekker after a huge win for the @BreakersTennis, 25-13 over the @VegasRollersWTT, which she contributed two set wins! She talks about joining the Breakers, playing with @AustinKrajicek, and more! pic.twitter.com/SVT1VYQQbl
— World TeamTennis (@WorldTeamTennis) July 16, 2020
A few minutes with Monica Puig
Rio Olympic Games gold medalist Monica Puig of Puerto Rico is playing for the Vegas Rollers in World TeamTennis while awaiting for the WTA Tour to resume. Thus far, she has compiled a 2-2 win-loss record during the first week of the season with victories over Danielle Collins and Christine McHale while losing to Sloane Stephens and Jennifer Brady.
#WTT2020: We check in with @MonicaAce93 to see how her rehab went in quarantine and if she’s the best #TikToker on the @VegasRollersWTT! (She’s looking at you @kristieahn.) pic.twitter.com/KvK6XWNzHQ
— World TeamTennis (@WorldTeamTennis) July 16, 2020
What they’re sharing on social media
Caroline Wozniacki / Back on the home court
Christopher Clarey / Tennis has been played in a lot of places …
Tennis has been played in a whole lot of places through the years. Time to add a Berlin airport hangar to the list#bett1aces
Via @KasiTennis pic.twitter.com/fYJMcJZqku
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) July 16, 2020
