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.
