Wimbledon: Katie Boulter overcomes Just Stop Oil disruption on Court 18 to make it through to second round
British No 1 Katie Boulter overcame a Just Stop Oil protest in her first-round match against Daria Saville to win at Wimbledon, but Jodie Burrage tumbled out on Wednesday.
Boulter was trailing 4-2 in the first-set tie-break when a protester ran on Court 18 and threw confetti and jigsaw pieces just two hours after a first protest.
But, after a small delay, Boulter won the following five points to claim the first set and then raced through the second set to reach the second round thanks to a fine 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 victory.
Boulter celebrates making it through to the second round of Wimbledon
The 26-year-old is enjoying an impressive run, having won her maiden WTA Tour title in Nottingham at the start of the grass-court season, and as the highest-ranked Briton she will have designs on a deep run at her home Grand slam
Boulter had to do it the hard way, though, as she had to resume the match – which was suspended 28 hours earlier due to bad rain – serving to stay in the first set, but delivered a service hold to love.
But after just 10 points of the resumption, and trailing 4-2 in the tie-break, a protest ran onto court and play was suspended again.
Along with Saville, she helped the ground staff in the clean-up operation and the mini-break seemed to work wonders for her as she reeled off five successive points in the tie-break to claim the first set.
Boulter helped the groundsstaff in the clean-up operation on Court 18
Four more followed as she won the first game of the second set to love and that set the tone for what turned out to be a comfortable afternoon.
She won four of the next six games before serving out an impressive victory.
A show-court appearance will probably now lie in wait in her second-round match against Bernarda Pera or Viktoriya Tomova.
Burrage admitted nerves got the better of her on her Center Court debut as she tumbled out of Wimbledon in front of David Beckham.
Former England captain Beckham watched from the Royal Box as Britain’s Burrage was routed 6-0 6-2 by Russian 11th seed Daria Kasatkina.
Jodie Burrage was starstruck after hearing David Beckham would be watching their match in the Royal Box
“It was a good experience. Obviously not the result that I wanted. The first set was pretty brutal,” said Burrage, 24.
“But all in all, you dream to be out on Center Court. When I found out yesterday, it’s so exciting.
“In the same breath, you’ve got to deal with those nerves as well. I wish I could have settled a little bit earlier today. But you’ve got to go through these experiences to feel more comfortable in the next ones.
“So, yeah, it was a tough day, but also one of my dreams come true.”
Burrage arrived on court with high hopes after reaching the Nottingham final last month and then knocking out Caty McNally on Monday for her first win at a Grand Slam and a likely place in the top 100.
But she found herself staring down the barrel of a humiliating ‘double-bagel’ in the second round after dropping the first set without winning a game in 19 chastening minutes.
She was then unable to hold serve before a rain delay and, despite some admirable resistance upon the resumption, Kasatkina clinically closed out the match in exactly one hour.
“I mean, having the people who were in that box out there watching you. I actually didn’t see who was in there,” added Burrage.
“When you’re on the court, it’s hard to see who is in there. You don’t want to really look and stare.
“Then during the rain delay, they obviously had the cameras around, and in the room we’re in I obviously saw David Beckham was announced. ‘Oh my God, David Beckham is watching me play tennis right now’. And I was at 6-0 2-2.”
Arthur Ferry showed his potential on his Wimbledon debut despite a straight-set loss to third seed Daniil Medvedev.
The 20-year-old, ranked 391, matched his illustrious opponent in the first set before a rain delay disrupted things and he eventually fell to a 7-5 6-4 6-3 loss.
Boulter and boyfriend De Minar team up for mixed doubles
Boulter will play mixed doubles with Australian boyfriend Alex De Minaur at Wimbledon.
The pair are one of the highest-profile couples in tennis and, having supported each other court-side on many occasions, they will now be on the same side of the net for the first time.
Boulter and De Minaur, who will face Australian duo Storm Hunter and John Peers in the first round, are not the only off-court couple in the draw.
World No 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Spain’s Paula Badosa, who recently made their relationship public, are also playing together and will take on top seeds Austin Krajicek and Jessica Pegula.
Other notable pairings are all-British duos Heather Watson and Joe Salisbury and Jodie Burrage and Lloyd Glasspool, while Jamie Murray will play with American Taylor Townsend.
Britain’s Neal Skupski and American Desirae Krawczyk, meanwhile, are bidding for their third successive title.
