Katie Boulter: British No 2 makes it 12 wins in a row at Nottingham Open with victory against Sonay Kartal – Sky Sports

Tennis
Katie Boulter defeats Sonay Kartal in all-British showdown; Follow scores and reports from Queen’s Club and you can watch all the action from the tours on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, NOW and the Sky Sports app
Thursday 19 June 2025 17:00, UK
Katie Boulter stayed on course for a third consecutive Nottingham Open title by defeating Sonay Kartal in an all-British showdown on Thursday.
British No 2 Boulter battled back from a break down in the third set to win a rollercoaster match 6-4 1-6 7-5 in two hours and 26 minutes.
Boulter, who was replaced this week as British number one by Emma Raducanu, won her maiden WTA Tour title in Nottingham two years ago and backed it up last summer.
She trailed 4-2 in the deciding set and had to save a break point to avoid going a double break behind, with the eighth seed struggling in the heat and consulting the doctor.
“I have so much respect for Sonay, she is such a tough competitor and I also know she’s never going to give me anything at any point,” said Boulter.
“I know she’s going to surpass me at some point, she’s got the game for it, she’s got the head for it. I’m going to have to face that fact.
“But at the very end I just wanted to grit my teeth as hard as I possibly could and get myself over the line. I’m really pleased with myself today. It wasn’t easy, for sure.
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“I feel like I step into my house when I come onto this court. I have such great vibes here but the heat was killing me today.
“I am definitely proper British because I can’t handle the heat at all. I’m just glad I got over the line.”
Next up for Boulter is a quarter-final clash against American McCartney Kessler, who raced past Lin Zhu with a 6-1 6-4 victory.
Meanwhile, British teenager Mimi Xu exited in the second round 7-5 6-1 despite a spirited performance against world No 31 Magda Linette.
The 17-year-old, who will make her Wimbledon debut later this month after being given a wild card, won her first WTA Tour match in the first round before sitting an A level biology exam on Wednesday.
British No 2 Jacob Fearnley reached a first career ATP Tour-level quarter-final at Queen’s, defeating volatile qualifier Corentin Moutet 6-3 2-6 6-2 at the HSBC Championships.
In doing so, Fearnley extended his remarkable, perfect record against French players to 17-0 since turning professional.
He said: “I’m very happy to be in my first quarter-final, it’s even better to do it here in the UK. It’s really special for me, I’ve dreamed of these moments since I was a young boy.
“I tried to stick to my game plan and be aggressive. I did that better in the third set and the result speaks for itself.”
Fearnley wrapped up a controlled first set with a double-ace finish, while madcap Moutet got a ticking-off from umpire Adel Nour for chucking his racket.
However, the momentum shifted quickly when three double-faults from the home player gave Moutet an early break in the second.
But Fearnley reset well in the decider, breaking Moutet with a backhand winner down the line, prompting the fiery 26-year-old to whack a ball high over the stands and earn a long-overdue warning from the chair.
A diving backhand volley secured a double break and Fearnley kept his head as Moutet lost his – bickering with the umpire and the crowd – to wrap up victory in just over two hours.
Fearnley will play a fellow 23-year-old, Czech world No 30 Jiri Lehecka, in the last eight.
Jack Draper returns to action at Queen’s Club on Friday when the second seed takes on American Brandon Nakashima knowing victory would hand him a top four seeding at Wimbledon and a semi-final spot at the ATP 500 event in west London.
Aryna Sabalenka completed a 6-2 7-6 (8-6) win over Swiss Rebeka Masarova to reach the Berlin Open quarter-finals, completing a match that had been suspended on Wednesday because of slippery conditions.
Fellow Czech Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, needed three sets and two hours and 20 minutes to break the resistance of Russia’s Diana Shnaider.
Vondrousova, who was 6-5 and 30-0 up in the second set, advanced with a 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 win and will face lucky loser Ons Jabeur, a two-time Wimbledon finalist, in the last eight.
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