Katie Boulter wins tricky Wimbledon opener as boyfriend races to help partner

Katie Boulter won in straight sets

Katie Boulter had to dig deep to fight her way into the second round of Wimbledon against tricky world No.63 Tatjana Maria. The British No 1 came from behind in both sets to win 7-6(6), 7-5 and set up a clash with fellow countrywoman Harriet Dart on Thursday. Men's world No.7 Alex De Minaur raced to Court 3 after beating James Duckworth in straight sets to support his long-term girlfriend.

"Here we go Katie" and "Come on Boults" were among the words of encouragement shouted from the French Open quarter-finalist's corner. Maria's defensive slice from the baseline kept many of Boulter's powerful groundstrokes alive but the 32nd seed's sheer persistence paid off. Boulter won the toss and elected to receive first - a decision that looked costly at the beginning. Maria served strong from the start and broke Boulter in the following game to race into a 3-0 lead.

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Katie Boulter impressed with her groundstrokes

Brit Boulter, who had not lost in the first round at the All England Club since 2017, got on the board in the fourth game. A stroke of luck earned Boulter two break points in the seventh, a backhand passing shot down the line clipping the net and landing in. The 27-year-old brought the Court 3 crowd to their feet with a thunderous forehand to break back at her first attempt. The pair held serve as the first set headed to a decider - and Boulter edged the topsy-turvy tiebreak to six. Boulter started the second set the same as the first, losing her opening service game.

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