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Katie Boulter powers her way to the second round of the US Open as the British ace thrashes France’s Diane Parry in straight sets in New York

Katie Boulter powers her way to the second round of the US Open as the British ace thrashes France’s Diane Parry in straight sets in New York

  • Katie Boulter has qualified for the second round of the US Open on Tuesday
  • The British ace powered past France’s Diane Parry in straight sets
  • Boulter produced a brilliant display to beat her opponent in just 82 minutes 

The desire not to be seen as a Wimbledon specialist and the inspiration of her star Australian partner is looking a potent combination for Katie Boulter.

The British number one reached the US Open second round for the first time on Tuesday night, with another landmark – entry into the world’s top fifty – now finally in sight.

The 27 year-old from Leicestershire hit 31 winners as she overpowered France’s Diane Parry 6-4 6-0 to provide further evidence that, after showing promise for so long, she is finally coming into bloom.

The spur for Boulter, who was awaiting the winner of seventh seed Caroline Garcia and China’s Yafan Wang, has been to show that there is more to her than the high profile performances she has produced at SW19 in recent years. She also paid tribute to the example set by her boyfriend, Australian number one Alex de Minaur, who was watching courtside.

‘I feel like I have won a lot off the grass in the past, I want to consolidate my ranking and really show that week in, week out I can play these girls and get a lot of wins,’ she said, pointing to a long history of injuries which has held her back.

Katie Boulter has qualified for the second round of the US Open on Tuesday

Katie Boulter has qualified for the second round of the US Open on Tuesday

Boulter beat France's Diane Parry in straight sets in the first round clash in New York

Boulter beat France’s Diane Parry in straight sets in the first round clash in New York

The 31-year-old had never made it past the opening round at the tournament previously

The 31-year-old had never made it past the opening round at the tournament previously

‘I didn’t get the chance to do it before when I was inside 100, and I feel like I finally got my feet settled, and now is my time to really push on. I’ve really built a solid base. It’s taken me a while, probably more than a lot of people.

‘There are always going to be exceptions to the rule, 16-year-olds who do unbelievably well. For me it’s not that case, and I’ve tried to play the long game. I’ve really had to back myself and dig myself out of a few holes to get myself to where I am now.’

She also cited the positive influence of her long-term partner de Minaur, who is also at a career-high ranking, just outside the men’s top ten: ‘He’s someone that I idolise and try and emulate. What he did over this period of time has been pretty inspirational for me, and I don’t say that lightly. He’s really pushed the boundaries, and making his first Masters final (this month’s Canadian Open)was a massive moment for him.’

Boulter bristled earlier this summer when questions were raised about why there were no British women in the world’s top 100 at the time, something that she and Jodie Burrage – due to play on Tuesday night – have now put right.

‘For me it’s not just about 100. I genuinely believe they (her compatriots) can be 50, 40 or 30. I feel very strongly about it. I know you guys asked me about it, and I’ll stand by it, I think we’re all good talents, and it’s going to click at some point.’

Boulter said she ‘felt the love’ from the crowd, and applied herself admirably while playing on what could be a distracting court. Next door was packed out by Italian Matteo Berrettini, and she relentlessly bore down on the French player while managing to shut out all the noise from across the way.

This was only a second first round win in a Grand Slam outside the confines of SW19, a surprising statistic given the her ballstriking ability. While there is not a massive amount of subtlety in the Boulter game she does deliver a significant weight of shot, as Parry discovered.

That will serve her well inside the top fifty, and she ought to be setting her sights higher once she has breached that barrier.

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