Katie Boulter defends Nottingham title with stunning victory over Pliskova

Sunday, 16 June 2024 at 20:08

Katie Boulter (No. 30) secures back-to-back titles at the Nottingham Open by defeating Karolina Pliskova (No. 50) in the final with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The Brit started the day with a comeback in the semifinals against Raducanu and later had to come from behind again to claim her third career title and second in Nottingham.

Rain throughout the week led to the suspension of several matches. On Saturday, only one set of the Raducanu-Boulter semifinal was played, requiring a continuation on Sunday morning, while the Pliskova-Parry match was played in full that morning, resulting in semifinals and finals being played on the same day.

Boulter's resilient performance

It was a strong start for the local favorite, who broke serve early against one of the Tour’s best servers. Boulter went ahead 2-0, maintaining her dominance with strong service games and demonstrating her comfort on grass courts. However, errors began to creep in, and Pliskova started to counter her serve more effectively.

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Boulter led 4-2 in the first set but a series of mistakes proved costly. Pliskova won 16 of the last 20 points of the set, taking the lead 6-4 in 39 minutes. Boulter’s first serve percentage fell below 50%, which Pliskova capitalized on, winning 46% of return points.

In the second set, Boulter didn't let her level drop. The defending champion once again secured the first break, this time in the third game, taking a comfortable 3-1 lead. Her service improved significantly, with her service points won percentage rising from 54% to a commanding 76%, leaving Pliskova with little opportunity to come back in the set.

Katie Boulter at Nottingham Open.

The ninth game saw Boulter secure a second break, closing the set 6-3 and ensuring she started the third set on serve. The 27-year-old was particularly effective against Pliskova’s second serve, winning 78% of those points, and was flawless on her first serve.

In the third set, Boulter maintained her momentum from a strong second set. In a tense set with few long rallies, Boulter looked physically superior, continuously challenging her opponent from the return position while easily holding her own serve.

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Boulter broke twice consecutively in the fourth and sixth games, showing clear dominance throughout the set. The Brit held on to her lead, ultimately winning the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, to claim her third professional title and second of the year.

There will be no rest for the 27-year-old Brit, as she will play at the WTA 250 Birmingham Open starting Monday, debuting against Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina. Pliskova will also participate in the same tournament, facing a qualifier on Tuesday.

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🏆 BACK-TO-BACK BOULTER 🏆 @katiecboulter successfully defends her #RothesayOpen Nottingham title!!! #BackTheBrits🇬🇧 | @WTA

Champions graphic for Katie Boulter winning the Rothesay Open Nottingham again, defeating Karolina Pliskova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

6:41 PM · Jun 16, 2024

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

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