Katie Boulter battled into the second round of the French Open after coming through an error-strewn clash with teenage American wildcard Akasha Urhobo. The 29-year-old made heavy weather of her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory across nearly two-and-a-half hours in a contest that saw both players hit 93 unforced errors.
'It was a bit of a roller coaster,' said Boulter. 'Some parts were good, some parts I was almost playing to what she was giving me. I think that's where I got myself in a little bit of a pickle. I had to force myself to get out of my shell even though I wasn't physically 100 per cent.'
Boulter quickly raced to 3-0 up in the first set, but that was as comfortable as it would get. She struggled to find any rhythm and served seven double faults. Another poor service game cost her the second set, and a missed chance to serve for the match in the decider made nerves jangle yet further. However, Boulter eventually got over the line to join fellow Brit Fran Jones in the second round, setting up a clash with 23rd seed Anastasia Potapova.
Boulter's victory over the 19-year-old marks just the second time that she has made it through to the second stage at Roland Garros. Boulter has traditionally struggled on clay, having won her first WTA Tour-level match on the surface only last year at the age of 28.
She said earlier this year that she was finding more confidence on the red dirt, telling BBC Sport: 'There have been times in the past where I feel like I have had to try to convince myself that I like the clay, whereas at the moment I genuinely believe that I can play great on it.'
'I think it's just been cumulative over the last few weeks, maybe playing with a bit of an illness,' added Boulter. 'I really expected to feel a bit better today walking on the court, but I wasn't fully there. Whether it was just a little bit of the conditions, a little bit of the last few weeks, I haven't quite got enough rest, I'm not entirely sure. Only the players really know what it's like to consistently put their body on the line when they're not feeling amazing. It's something I've done throughout my whole entire career, and I feel like the more I do it, the more I struggle with it, because I've pushed through so many different things that, you know, now when I don't feel 100%, I can be a little bit more grumpy than usual. I mean, it's like when you go to work, you go to work and you're tired, but you still have to push through.'
Earlier in the day, British qualifier and Southampton fan Toby Samuel sank to a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Boulter's fiance, Alex De Minaur. Samuel joked that his dad considered staging a Spygate protest during the match. 'My dad was talking about wearing a "Free Southampton" shirt to the match,' said Samuel.
