National Bank Open 2023: Katie Boulter wins opening match, to face Coco Gauff
Posted : 08 August 2023
British number one Katie Boulter secured a comfortable victory in her opening match at the WTA National Bank Open in Montreal, setting the stage for a second-round encounter with Coco Gauff. Boulter, ranked 72nd in the world, defeated Canadian wildcard Rebecca Marino with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win that took just over an hour.
Having breezed through two qualification rounds, Boulter has yet to drop a set in the Canadian tournament. In contrast, sixth seed Gauff received a first-round bye. In other matches, American Madison Keys defeated fellow countrywoman Venus Williams with a score of 6-2, 7-5. Williams, aged 43, valiantly saved multiple match points but was unable to secure a victory.
Boulter's victory over Marino was marked by a strong performance, including a break of serve to love in the fifth game of the first set. She maintained her momentum, securing the set with another break on her first set point. While facing four break points on her own serve in the second set, Boulter impressively saved all of them, sealing her victory by winning key points and maintaining her lead.
Karolina Pliskova is set to face world number one Iga Swiatek in the second round after a hard-fought match against Zhu Lin. Pliskova secured a 6-3, 6-7 (8-10), 6-2 victory after a match lasting two hours and 22 minutes. Additionally, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus achieved her 187th career win at the WTA 1000 level by defeating Magda Linette of Poland with a score of 6-3, 6-0, surpassing the previous record set by Simona Halep in 2009.
The return of former world number one Caroline Wozniacki is highly anticipated, as she takes on Australian Kimberly Birrell in her first competitive match since the 2020 Australian Open. Wozniacki, aged 33, will make her comeback on Tuesday evening, adding excitement to the tournament.
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