Katie Boulter says she will have nothing to lose when she gets a shot at defending champion Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon.
The British number one is through to the third round for the second consecutive year after a 6-0 3-6 6-3 win over Viktoriya Tomova, and will meet last year’s winner, probably on Centre Court, on Saturday.
“I think it’s a super great opportunity for me. I’ve got nothing to lose. She’s clearly the defending champion for a reason,” said British number one Boulter.
“I’m going to have a swing and go for it. I’ve got a lot of tennis behind me. It’s time for me to test my skills against an incredible champion.”
Boulter looked set to breeze through her second-round match against Bulgarian Tomova after wrapping up the first set in 27 minutes.
But the 26-year-old from Leicester put her family, as well as boyfriend and men’s 15th seed Alex De Minaur, through the wringer when Tomova hit back to take the second and level the match.
“Do my family get nervous? I don’t know. I’m sure they do,” added Boulter. “My grandpa spends a lot of time actually cramping with nerves. When I see him walk off, I know he’s struggling!
“Obviously I’ve kind of been in their shoes a little bit more watching Alex. I hate every minute of it because it is so stressful.”
Back-to-back net cords helped Boulter break for 2-0 in the decider and after that second-set wobble, she regained her composure and asserted herself on the contest once more.
The Boulter serve was back on song, but she needed to come out on the right end of an epic 24-shot rally before converting a third match point with her 36th winner to complete a fine victory.
“I think I’m playing really well. I’ve played a lot of matches on the grass. I feel very comfortable,” she said.
“It’s always a tough match on grass when you’re playing people like I am today. They’re going to come back at you with a lot more trouble. I have to find ways to win.
“A lot of it is my self-belief. A lot of matches I’ve really drawn from recently to help me get over the line. I definitely did that again today, as well as the British crowd.”
Alcaraz begins Madrid Open campaign with emphatic win
Carlos Alcaraz continued his fine record at the Madrid Open with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 victory over Alexander Shevchenko on Friday.
The two-time defending champion made it 12 straight wins at his home tournament to ensure he will face Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild in the last 32.
Alcaraz was playing his first match on the ATP Tour since March 28 after being unable to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open due to an arm injury.
But he was still able to make a fine start to his clay-court season, breaking serve in the first game and racing to victory in only one hour and eight minutes.
Data Debrief
Sometimes the scoreline can be harsh on a beaten player, but on this occasion Alcaraz was clearly dominant, breaking the Kazakh seven times in the match and forcing 11 break-point opportunities while conceding only three for his opponent.
That allowed the Spaniard to claim a dominant victory despite being broken once in each set. He will now turn his attention to a clash with Seyboth Wild, who battled past Lorenzo Musetti with a 6-4 6-4 win.
Reigning champion Sabalenka pushed by Linette at Madrid Open
Aryna Sabalenka got her Madrid Open campaign started with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over Magda Linette on Friday.
Sabalenka could not quite hit her peak form against Linette, but the world number two nevertheless got the job done after going the distance.
The Belarusian is hunting a record-equalling third title in Madrid, where she is the reigning champion, though she has not won back-to-back matches at a tournament since winning the Australian Open.
"It's not about being confident," Sabalenka said. "It's about how much you're ready to do to get it. It's about the hard work and to be ready, be ready for the big fights. I feel like confidence is not going to help you in those big matches. It's about staying there and fighting for it."
Data Debrief
Sabalenka (70 per cent, 56-24) is now one of five active players since 2020 to hold a winning percentage of 70 per cent or higher at WTA-1000 events.
Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are the other players to feature on that list.
Rybakina continues clay winning streak with victory over Bronzetti
In-form Elena Rybakina has moved into the last 32 of the Madrid Open after a straight sets victory over Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
Number four seed Rybakina triumphed 6-4 6-3 on Friday and will next face either Marta Kostyuk or Mayar Sherif.
Rybakina was broken early in each set but ultimately had few problems getting over the line, converting four of her five break points to continue an impressive run of results after winning the Stuttgart Open last week.
She has now won five consecutive WTA matches and has 13 straight wins on clay courts to her name in a superb streak that started one year ago.
Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company
Since the start of 2020, only two other players have claimed as many 13 consecutive WTA wins on clay, and they are Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep, so Rybakina is in elite company.
Rybakina's last defeat on this surface came in the 2023 edition of the Madrid Open, when she fell to Anna Kalinskaya in her first match, so this win represented a better start to her campaign in the Spanish capital.
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