[ad_1]
British No 1 Katie Boulter reached her first WTA 500 final by upsetting American Emma Navarro in straight sets at the Cymbiotika San Diego Open on Saturday, and she will meet Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, who got past American Jessica Pegula, also in 2 tight sets, in the championship match on Sunday.
Honestly, at the start of this week, I didn’t think I’d be in this position, but I’m just going to go out there, and swing away. Katie Boulter
The World No 49 won, 6-3 6-1, in just 74 minutes. and it was an impressive display of aggressive tennis, dominating on serve and winning more than 87% of her first-serve points.
She also faced only 2 break points against her own serve, and saved them both, while she also had to deal with a rain delay before she could overcome the 3rd seed, the World No 26.
“Today was one of those matches where everything just clicks,” Boulter said later. “I came on the court and started the first few games, and I could feel the power that she had, and the way she works, and manoeuvres the ball. I knew I had to come up with something better.”
Boulter will rise to her highest career ranking on Monday regardless of the result in the final,
The latest win is Boulter’s second over a Top 3 seed this week, having defeated No 2 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia from Brazil in the 2nd-round, and then taking out Donna Vekic, the Croatian 7th seed in the quarters.
Facing Navarro for the first time, Boulter dominated the surging American from the baseline to seal the win after an hour and 14 minutes, striking 24 winners and holding the 2021 NCAA Singles Champion to just 8.
Although rain stopped play early in the second set, the delay did nothing to stop Boulter’s momentum as she produced an almost perfect set to secure the win.
Marta Kostyuk came from behind to upset World No 5 Jessica Pegula in straight sets to reach the final in San Diego
© Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Later, Kostyuk, the World No 34, stunned top seed Pegula, notching up the first Top 5 win of her career after mounting a come-back in their semi-final.
The 21-year-old Ukrainian overcame a 1-5 deficit in the first set to surge past the World No 5 after an hour and 35 minutes.
“I don’t even know how I turned this around,” Kostyuk said on court, the win coming 24 hours after the Ukrainian came from a set down to defeat Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 4th seed, in the quarters.
Pegula led the head-to-head 2-0 and looked primed to maintain her perfect record over Kostyuk, but trailing, the Ukrainian increased her aggression and turned the tables, winning 4 consecutive games to level the set at 5-5, and then wiping out a break point to hold to 6-5.
The American held serve to force the tiebreak, but Kostyuk’s momentum carried her through to seal the opening set.
“I think I was just rushing a little bit in the beginning, just picking the wrong balls to accelerate or to come in on,” Kostyuk said.
Having settled on her winning game plan, Kostyuk continued her domination in the second set, finishing the match with 26 winners to 23 unforced errors, while Pegula struck 16 winners to her 19 miscues and got broken 5 times.
“Top 5 wins are much more difficult than Top 10 because girls in the Top 5 are usually much more consistent,” Kostyuk added. “This one is extra special and important. I also lost twice to Jess before. So it definitely feels good.”
Katie Boulter dominated her semi-final against Emma Navarro and will reach a career high ranking on Monday
© Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Sunday’s final will be the first career meeting between Kostyuk and Boulter, both enjoying strong starts to their seasons.
In January, Boulter signalled her intent with her first Top 5 win, beating Pegula at the United Cup, while Kostyuk notched a milestone of her own, advancing to her first major quarter-final at the Australian Open.
Both are bidding to capture their second career titles. Like Boulter, who won WTA 250 Nottingham last year, Kostyuk broke through to win her first title, winning in Austin, also in 2023.
“I was following this week, how she’s been playing, and she’s been playing really, really good, very aggressive, very flat,” Kostyuk said of Boulter. “So again, I have to stay low tomorrow. It will be another great fight.”
Boulter says she is ‘“very happy with her tennis’, adding: “Honestly, at the start of this week, I didn’t think I’d be in this position, but I’m just going to go out there, and swing away.”
If Boulter can win the title, she not only will climb to her career-high WTA ranking, she would also land her first WTA 500 trophy in what will be the biggest match of her career so far.
[ad_2]
.jpg)