Cathy Boulter: I'm honored to continue playing after avoiding suspension

This summer, Katie Boulter showed off her superb form at the US Open. Credit: Getty Images/Robert Prange

«I felt privileged and will continue to play,» said UK No. 1 Cathy Boulter, who flirted with a US Open suspension as she tossed the ball into the stands.

The incident occurred in Game 8 when Boulter scored a second-round victory over Yafan Wang after her opponent pulled off several escapology feats and won a 20-handed rally. When Boulter turned to pick up the ball for the next serve, she hit it in what looked like a fit of mild annoyance.

The intention was just to bounce off the backboard, but she made a mistake and the ball went over the wall into the stands. Luckily, she managed to direct it to the empty spot where the TV camera is, thus avoiding the kind of default that happened here with Novak Djokovic when he hit the line judge in 2020.

“It was completely unintentional , and luckily it wasn't near anyone,» said Boulter, whose hand instinctively flew up to her face as soon as she realized what she had done. “But for a second, I, yes, I felt pretty bad, to be honest.

“That would be my worst nightmare,” Boulter added when asked if she knew what had happened. the possibility of default. “She threw the ball at me very quickly. I reacted expecting him to hit the wall and then attack me so that I could catch the ball and then move on. I'll just continue, but be very careful.»

Boulter just had too much Wang. Photo: Getty Images/Sarah Steer

Boulter received a warning for violating the «abuse of the ball» code from the tower umpire, which seemed like a win in light of what could have happened. Since then, she has done an impeccable job of keeping her composure against Wang, the Chinese qualifier who entered the match with 11 consecutive wins. Boulter, 27, has never made it past the second round of a major tournament outside of Wimbledon, and this new milestone comes after a stellar summer.

Back in April, she wasn't in the top 150 in the world, but consistently good results — and even her first WTA title in Nottingham — have seen her rise significantly. This latest victory put her in 50th place in the world, and she crossed this milestone for the first time in her career.

She had to do it the hard way, although with a score of 5-7 6-1 6-4 victory , which lasted two hours and 21 minutes.

Although 29-year-old Wang is ranked 114th, she has won a staggering 57 matches this year (mostly on the second ITF divisional tour), including five titles since April. A skilled retriever, she constantly got the strong Boulter to throw extra punches. But in the second set, Boulter reacted brilliantly, taking advantage of Wang's energy slump and blasting through him in 33 minutes.

The decision was noticeably tighter as the wind picked up and each move by Boulter was an attempt to counter Wang's coverage in the Supreme Court. At 4-3, Boulter made two double faults and was under serious pressure. But she parried two break points and then hit two winning right hands and got the decisive reception.

“I, of course, am very happy. I was a little nervous at the start of the match and I was a little nervous at the end of the match,» Boulter said afterwards. “I had to dig deeper. I had a few set points in the first set and failed to convert. She was really good at tennis and I really had to fight and get it at the same time.

“[I was very pleased] with my tenacity. Tactically I tried to be very aggressive and I think I was a little tight in the first set, not as loose as I wanted. I think in the second set I bounced back very quickly, managed to relax and find ways to earn points, which I did not fully succeed in the first set. I feel better. I'm very proud of the way I handled it.”

The draw began in such a way that Boulter has yet to play the seed. She has a huge opportunity to go further than ever before in the Grand Slams as she takes on American Peyton Stearns on Saturday, who is just one spot above her in the standings, for a place in the last 16 tournaments.

Meanwhile, Boulter's compatriot Jodie Burrage showed a decent game. against the second racket of the world Arina Sobolenko, despite the defeat in two sets.