Katie Boulter set to secure sensational rankings boost after best win of her career

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Katie Boulter happy
Katie Boulter from United Kingdom salutes the crowd

Great Britain were defeated in their United Cup clash against USA in Perth, but it proved to be a breakthrough tie for No 1 player Katie Boulter.

Britain were beaten 2-1 by the United States despite Katie Boulter sealing the biggest win of her career against world number five Jessica Pegula in Perth.

The second edition of the mixed international team competition is a slimmed-down version, with ties comprising two singles matches and one doubles.

British number one Boulter, 51 places below Pegula in the world rankings, defeated the American 5-7 6-4 6-4 in the first match on Sunday, but defeat for Cameron Norrie, and then for Boulter and Neal Skupski in the mixed doubles, saw the defending champions prevail.

Victory for Britain would have secured their place in the quarter-finals, but all three teams in Group C still stand a chance of progressing ahead of the final pool match between the US and hosts Australia on Monday.

Pegula looked on course to open the Americans’ title defence with victory, taking six straight games to go a set and 3-0 up.

But Boulter hit back to record her first win over a top-five opponent at the seventh attempt. Her previous best was beating then-world number seven Karolina Pliskova at Eastbourne and Wimbledon in 2022.

“I felt like I played some really good stuff,” said Boulter. “I get a lot of confidence from it, I’ve done the work during pre-season and I was very happy with it. I feel like a different player than I was a year ago. I wanted to get some wins by rankings.

“The first set was really tight, and it could have gone either way.

“She came out heavy in the second and played some really good stuff, and I just tried to fight and stay in the match as much as possible—and somehow found a way.”

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Pegula gave her verdict on the match, as she suggested the conditions were not to her liking.

“I had a really tough match,” Pegula said. “First match back for the season, almost three hours long. Brutal heat, but she played great. She played unbelievable.

“I felt like I played pretty well. There’s things I could have done better. But first match. We’ll just keep trying to learn and improve.

Boulter’s impressive win against Pegula bodes well for what she hopes will be another year of progress, with the 27-year-old making a big break into the top 100 of the rankings in 2023.

Much of her points come from impressive performances in the second half of the year, including her first WTA Tour title on grass at Nottingham last June.

This latest win against Pegula is set to hand Boulter another rankings boost, as she is set to move above her previous high of 50 in the WTA list.

Boulter is currently at No 46 in the provisional rankings, and will look to close in on a position in the top 32 in 2024, as that would secure her a seeded position in Grand Slam events.

Boulter’s modest points total from the first half of last year means she has a chance to make ground in high ranking events she will not qualify for.

If she can perform well at the Australian Open and then make a mark in the WTA 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami in March, she will have a chance to be seeded by the time she plays at the French Open in June.

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