Katie Boulter Battles Back to Advance at US Open With Win Over Aliaksandra Sasnovich

British No. 1 Katie Boulter overcame a shaky start to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich in a three-set thriller at the US Open on Monday.

Boulter, making her debut as a seeded player at the tournament, dropped the first set to the unheralded qualifier Sasnovich.

However, the 28-year-old displayed impressive resilience, grinding her way back into the match and eventually securing a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory.

“I haven’t played a lot of matches coming into here,” Boulter admitted after the match. “I changed surface within three days, and I’ve never done that. It’s a complete risk for me and my body.

“As I’ve said before, I wouldn’t change it for the world, because the Olympics was an amazing week for me. But, yeah, this was a really important win.”

"I'm super proud of the way that I managed to stay in there and bring some good level to the court" 🔥

Katie Boulter on her first round win against Sasnovich 💥 pic.twitter.com/M2h5UwiGbz

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) August 27, 2024

Boulter Battles Back To Advance In US Open

Boulter’s serve proved to be a major factor throughout the match, as Sasnovich capitalised on numerous second serves. The Brit struggled to find her rhythm early on, allowing Sasnovich to take the first set.

However, Boulter managed to regroup and find her footing in the second and third sets.

The deciding set was a tense affair, with both players battling hard for every point. Boulter was able to hold her nerve and break Sasnovich’s serve at key moments, ultimately securing the victory.

“It felt good to actually play a lot of tennis and get used to the courts,” Boulter said. “It was a battle in the first [set], but I was right there.”

With this win, Boulter advances to the second round of the US Open and will look to continue her momentum against her next opponent, Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro.