Unseeded Katie Boulter wins San Diego Open by topping sixth-seeded Marta Kostyuk
The Hindu
Unseeded Katie Boulter of England capped a run of upsets to win the San Diego Open singles title
Unseeded Katie Boulter of England capped a run of upsets to win the San Diego Open singles title with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine on Sunday.
A 10-year tour veteran, the 27-year-old Boulter won her second pro singles title with her fifth straight victory over higher-seeded players in the week-long WTA 500 event.
“I can’t stop smiling,” Boulter said. “I’ve been wanting this my whole career and now I’ve got to move my goalposts and keep it going.”
As darkness fell early in the match — twice delayed by intermittent showers — both players appeared to struggle while adjusting to the unseasonably cool, windy and drizzly conditions with temperatures in the mid-50s.
In her San Diego Open debut, Boulter shook off a flurry of early first-set unforced errors, initially flustered by Kostyuk’s quickness and athleticism. But showing signs of resilience that would later serve her well, Boulter overcame five set points before she sent an errant forehand past the baseline to fall 7-5.
Undeterred, Boulter found her rhythm en route to winning the second set, which was marked by furious backcourt rallies.
About 30 minutes later, Boulter was serving for the match at 5-2 when she struck a crosscourt forehand just out of Kostyuk’s reach to give her the title.
The Election Commission of India will hold a press conference on June 3, a day before the counting of votes polled in the Lok Sabha polls. Till the 2019 parliamentary polls, deputy election commissioners used to hold media briefings after each phase of polls, but the practice has been done away with.