Katie Boulter Falls Short in Pan Pacific Open Semi-Final
With this victory, Kenin advances to the final, where she will face top seed and Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, who triumphed over Diana Shnaider in the other semi-final.
Katie Boulter's journey at the Pan Pacific Open came to an end as she suffered a straight-sets defeat to Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals, losing 6-4, 6-4 in Tokyo. The British number one missed an opportunity to reach her third WTA final of the year with this loss against the 2020 Australian Open champion.
In the first set, Kenin established control by breaking Boulter's serve in both the fifth and seventh games. Despite Boulter's efforts to rally, including breaking back and saving three set points, Kenin ultimately closed out the set at her second attempt.
The second set saw Kenin displaying strong form, saving four break points during the sixth game before breaking Boulter’s serve in the following game. She maintained her lead and wrapped up the match in one hour and 29 minutes.
With this victory, Kenin advances to the final, where she will face top seed and Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, who triumphed over Diana Shnaider in the other semi-final.
