Katie Boulter bounced back from her disappointing second-round exit at the US Open with a remarkable performance in her return at the China Open, where she defeated Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.
After her loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in August, which she described as “horrendous” and criticized her own mindset of merely “trying to get through a match,” the British No. 1 displayed resilience and skill in Beijing.
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Initially, Boulter struggled to find her rhythm, falling behind 4-1 in the first set as Townsend dominated early on, particularly with powerful forehands that pushed Boulter around the court.
However, Boulter soon regained her composure and secured her first break, reducing the deficit to 4-3.
From there, Boulter’s confidence grew, and she mounted an impressive comeback. She broke Townsend again to take the lead and finished the first set in style with a series of strong backhands and a well-placed forehand down the line.
In the second set, both players held serve for seven consecutive games, but Boulter finally broke through at 5-4, winning the set and match after breaking Townsend to love.
Despite some nervy moments, Boulter closed out the win and now faces a potential second-round clash with either Coco Gauff or Clara Burel.
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