Katie Boulter hurled her fist into the air, her ponytail swishing from side to side. A magnificent victory was claimed against Viktoriya Tomova on Court 12 at Wimbledon. Riding a wave of momentum, Boulter has galloped into the third round. The reward for some audacious tennis is the opportunity of her career, in all likelihood: Centre Court against the defending champion Elena Rybakina.
Boulter has previously lit up SW19, beating former finalist Karolina Pliskova last year, but there is now a fiery determination to her game, swatting 36 winners across a pulsating hour and 43 minutes. Tomova, left helpless for much of this game, could only applaud at times. It is no coincidence her breakout comes on the grass, either.
“I think I embrace it a lot. I’m an aggressive player,” Boulter said. “I enjoy going for it, I feel I have more of an opportunity to play my game on the grass. Sometimes you've got to back yourself and trust the process. If you go for it and lose, you can take it.”
Given her potential, this match should be a footnote to the 26-year-old’s career, yet the circumstances, against the 99th-ranked player in the world, demonstrated a mentality that could take her to that next level. Entering this grand slam at 89th in the world, with a high of 77 achieved just last month, Boulter can rise much higher, having sparked the prospect of a major breakthrough at a grand slam by winning the Rothesay Open after victory over Jodie Burrage in the final.
“I really do think about these last few weeks. They’ve been quite the rollercoaster in many different ways,” Boulter added. “But I think everything that’s been going on has been a huge testament to my perseverance and how hard I’ve worked to come back from a lot of tough moments. It’s a huge moment for me. I’ve got a lot to work on and to push towards, it’s keeping me motivated.”
This is exactly the kind of match Boulter should be winning and win it she did in genuine style. A swagger, even, with boyfriend Alex de Minaur gleefully applauding in the crowd following his own victory earlier, a belated first-round win over Kimmer Coppejans.
After the “shock to the system” of Just Stop Oil storming onto the court during Boulter’s first-round win on Tuesday, there was a serenity to Boulter early on and the British No.1 refused to allow mild irritations fester: from a wandering spectator in the first set to a fan struggling to contain a cough throughout the second set.
Katie Boulter of Great Britain plays a forehand against Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria— (Getty Images)
But Boulter displayed balletic footwork to dispatch the crispest forehands, and lightning reactions to chase down a series of tantalising drop shots when Tomova was able to remain in the rallies. The first set, banked to love, lasted just 25 minutes. A bagel in the blazing sunshine at the All England Club, Boulter could scarcely have dreamt a better half hour of tennis in her life.
A belated arrival for De Minaur saw a scrappy end to the second set – a blessing in disguise perhaps? She was able to endure some adversity on this Thursday afternoon. Her focus could be seen when retrieving her towel in the corner of her Australian partner, yet there was barely any interaction as Tomova drew level. A monumental third set was still to come.
Her mental strength, a proud part of her arsenal on court, was immediately validated with an opening game to the set won to love, pocketed with a sumptuous backhand that touched opposing corners of the court. It was perhaps her most impressive stroke over the course of the match. Yet there were delicate hands at the net to close the show while a break up in the third.
Britain's Katie Boulter celebrates winning her second round match against Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova— (REUTERS)
One of the most absorbing rallies of the match suppressed a late flurry from Tomova. And after passing up two match points, a devilishly whipped forehand fizzed past the Bulgarian, who could only splash a forehand into the net a moment later.
A finger to the head, locked in, Boulter roared in delight. Rybakina is a daunting opponent, but to even take on the defending champion, on the most magnificent of stages, is now something Boulter can relish. In her own words, Boulter is “not done yet”.
