A major hurdle in the game of professional tennis is its rapid pace. Regardless of a player’s accomplishments or performance, every week introduces a fresh tournament with new conditions and notably, opponents who are even more motivated to outplay them on court.
Just three days after clinching the greatest achievement of her career yet – a WTA 500 title in San Diego and breaking into the top 30 ranking for women’s tennis, Katie Boulter was met with an immense challenge head-on. However, unfortunately for her, she wasn’t able to overcome it as Camila Giorgi swiftly defeated her in just 78 minutes during their first-round match at Indian Wells by scoring 6-3 and then proceeding onto another easy win of scoreline credits:6-2
In the meantime, while striving to achieve better performance following a challenging season’s kick-off, Andy Murray delivered one of his finest performances by triumphing over David Goffin with an imposing 6-3, 6-2 victory and progressing into California’s second round. On Friday in that stage of the tournament, he will confront Andrey Rublev – ranking fifth on seed list.
Boulter was significantly favored to defeat her Italian opponent when she entered the Indian Wells court, owing to form. The latter has had a poor performance since last year and plummeted in rankings this week; currently standing at No 106- her lowest ranking since 2013. However, Giorgi – who once held top-30 rankings and won the WTA 1000 event trophy in Montreal three years ago – is capable of overpowering any player with ease if she’s performing flawlessly off-court.
In the 2018 Wimbledon quarter-finals, Giorgi was asked to give her thoughts on Serena Williams’ game. She replied that she doesn’t keep up with tennis. However, Giorgi is a highly focused player who prioritizes herself and has an exceptional drive to hit every ball as hard as possible – making her one of the most determined players on tour.
One of her brilliant days was observed on Wednesday, although disastrous consequences result when the 32-year-old is not in top form. Giorgi dominated the baseline from the start by executing powerful shots with both wings and dictating most exchanges that forced Boulter to retreat.
Giorgi’s aggressive play style proved too much for Boulter to handle as she consistently took massive swings at the ball from both wings. Despite her best efforts, Boulter struggled with errors and a weak serve which led to a passive approach in the later stages of the match. With early losses on her serve during each set, Boulter found herself constantly playing catch-up without finding proper footing throughout the game.
If this week’s rankings were used for the main draw, Boulter would have been seeded. She has demonstrated her ability to compete at a high level and win matches against tough opponents. However, it is important for her to learn how to maintain consistency throughout all conditions and with any opponent she faces on a weekly basis. Luckily, professional tennis moves quickly which means that in just mere weeks she will receive another chance to prove herself during the Miami Open tournament.