Boulter Falls Short Against Kenin in Pan Pacific Open Semi-Finals
In the first set, Boulter struggled as she was broken twice by Kenin. Despite managing to break back once when Kenin served for the set, Boulter couldn’t capitalize further, allowing the former world number four to clinch the set on her second attempt.
British tennis player Katie Boulter was eliminated from the Pan Pacific Open after suffering a straight-set defeat to American wildcard Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals on Saturday. Boulter, who was aiming for her third title of the year, lost the match with a score of 6-4, 6-4 in Tokyo, completing the contest in just one hour and 30 minutes.
In the first set, Boulter struggled as she was broken twice by Kenin. Despite managing to break back once when Kenin served for the set, Boulter couldn’t capitalize further, allowing the former world number four to clinch the set on her second attempt.
The second set saw Kenin fighting off four break points during a tense sixth game, eventually leveling the score at 3-3. She then broke Boulter's serve in the next game and maintained her lead, closing out the set and match to secure her place in the final.
Kenin is set to face top seed Zheng Qinwen of China in the final, who reached this stage after defeating sixth seed Diana Shnaider from Russia with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. This marks the second time Zheng has advanced to the final of the tournament, having previously been defeated by Liudmila Samsonova in 2022.
Boulter's loss in the semi-finals signifies a missed opportunity to add another title to her name, but her overall performance this year remains commendable.
