US Open 2024: Katie Boulter rallies to dispatch Aliaksandra Sasnovich

In the final months of a career-best year that has seen her establish herself as a seeded player at the world’s biggest tennis tournaments, the pressing question surrounding Katie Boulter is whether she is ready to make a deep Grand Slam run. Boulter has won multiple WTA titles, defeated countless top players and earned the respect of her peers, but reaching the second week of a major has thus far eluded her.

After some doubts in her first round match at the US Open, Boulter remained calm as she shook off her hesitant play and struck the ball with authority. She rallied from a set down to beat qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.

“I think it’s important that I make steps in bigger tournaments, because if I want to go from 30th to 20th place, [in the rankings]“There’s a huge jump, and if I want to go from 20 to 10, there’s a huge jump,” Boulter said.

“For me it’s about looking at where I can earn a bit more, like bigger points. And obviously I’ll have to play better, but I feel like I have that game to do that. I’ve shown that in the past, it’s about taking it these weeks and giving them a bit more priority, which I just haven’t done before.”

Despite how positive things have been for Boulter overall, the last few months have been a mixed bag in the singles. This victory is her second completed singles win since a disappointing second round defeat to Harriet Dart at Wimbledon.

A few weeks after Wimbledon, Boulter fulfilled her childhood dream by competing at the Olympics. She was close to medal contention with Heather Watson when they reached the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles, but lost to eventual gold medallists Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani.

However, Boulter understood that her choice to play on clay in Paris would come at the expense of her rhythm and form on the subsequent North American hard courts, where she can perform at a much higher level.

Although Boulter entered the Stadium 17 field as the favourite, Sasnovich is a quality player who has now established herself in the top 100, although her modest successes are overshadowed by those of her compatriots Victoria Azarenka and Aryna Sabalenka.

Sasnovich is a solid baseliner with a beautiful backhand, but her biggest weakness is impossible to ignore. Over the past year, Sasnovich has opted for a shortened, deconstructed service motion that starts with her racket already above her head in the trophy position and holds it for three long seconds.

Although Sasnovich struggled with her serve at times, as expected, she dominated the baseline early in the blazing midday heat and dominated the majority of the exchanges against a hesitant Boulter, who struggled to find her range and was punished when she became too passive.

From the start of the second set, Boulter was determined to attack the first ball, taking it early and pushing it inside the baseline. She played a great opening return game, tirelessly attacking Sasnovich’s serve, and the momentum changed immediately when she took the break. As Boulter tried to take control of the match, Sasnovich’s serve began to crumble and the Briton marched to victory.

Boulter has spent much of her career in Sasnovich’s position as a lowly qualifier, but says that while she is still adjusting to her new status, she is determined to push harder. “If I move up, then I’m going in the right direction,” she said. “And I also see it as a privilege to be in that position, but it just means I’m playing good tennis. It’s an accumulative year for me, but it’s not something I want to sit on. I just want to keep pushing. And I know I’ve got a lot in the bag.”

“It’s about putting it out there at the right times. And I’m also very realistic about it. I don’t expect to just shoot for the stars, I’m on a steady pace and I keep working hard. But I’m going to get there. I’m going to go much higher. I really feel it.”

Dan Evans produced one of the most courageous performances of his career by defeating 23rd-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-7 (6), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-4 in a marathon 5-hour, 35-minute match, the longest US Open match in tournament history.

After leading two-to-one, Evans trailed 0-4 in the final set and looked set for a brutal defeat. But as the match neared five hours, it was Evans who was clearly physically fresher. He gradually pulled himself back into the fray with grit and determination, winning six games in a row to decide the match.

Evans has spent the last few years comfortably inside the top 100, but he faces a huge drop in the rankings with an early defeat in New York. After being ranked inside the top 60 in early August, Evans fell to his current ranking of No. 186 after opting to compete at the Olympics rather than defend his ATP 500 title in Washington. A first-round defeat in New York would have forced the 34-year-old out of the top 220.

British world number 1 Jack Draper advanced to the second round after his opponent, Zhang Zhizhen of China, withdrew with Draper leading 6-3, 6-0, 4-0. Draper, the 25th seed, will now face either Facundo Díaz Acosta or Hugo Gaston, with a potential third-round match against third seed Carlos Alcaraz looming.