Boulter reclaims British number one ranking with Japan Open comeback

OSAKA: Katie Boulter reclaimed the British number one ranking after battling back from a set down to defeat Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic in the Japan Open quarter-finals here at the Utsubo Tennis Center on Thursday.

The eighth seed recovered from a set and a break down to secure a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory in two hours, reaching her first semi-final since Queen’s in June.

Boulter lost the top British ranking on Monday after Sonay Kartal reached the final in Wuhan.

Regardless of her semi-final result, Boulter will move above Kartal and return to the world’s top 50 when the WTA rankings are updated on Monday.

Boulter praised Ruzic’s performance and credited her own resilience for turning the match around and securing the victory.

“[Ruzic] is a really good player, full credit to her,” Boulter said.

“I tried to hang tough and find a way. I was a bit lucky in the middle of the second [set] but I feel I did really well to stay there.”

Boulter will face Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova for a place in the final, knowing she must produce another strong performance against a dangerous opponent.

After struggling on serve early in the match, Boulter gradually improved her game, stepping inside the baseline to put pressure on the 23-year-old Ruzic.

A crucial hold in the second set helped her regain momentum before she won eight consecutive games to establish a commanding lead in the decider.

Although Boulter failed to serve out the match at 5-2, she immediately broke Ruzic to love to seal the victory and secure her return to the British number one position.