Katie Boulter’s run at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo came to an end on Saturday after she was beaten in straight sets by Sofia Kenin in the semi-finals.
The British No 1 missed the chance to reach her third WTA Tour final of the year following a 6-4, 6-4 loss to the 2020 Australian Open champion, who will face China’s Zheng Qinwen in the final.
Kenin broke in the fifth and seventh games of the opener before Boulter pulled one break back and saved three set points, only for the American to serve out the set at the second attempt.
Boulter failed to convert any of her four break points in the sixth game of the second set, and Kenin pounced to break her opponent in the next game. Kenin, who beat Emma Raducanu in the first round at last month’s US Open, then held her nerve to wrap up victory in one hour and 29 minutes.
Zheng, the Olympic champion and No 1 seed in Tokyo, defeated Diana Shnaider 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the second semi-final. Zheng raced into a 4-0 lead with two breaks in quick succession, but dropped her level to allow her Russian opponent a way back into the first set.
Quick GuideHow do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?
Show
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for ‘The Guardian’.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Shnaider won three straight games to leave the opening set at 4-3, defended three set points to hold under pressure for 5-4 and then saved another to break Zheng’s serve for a second time and level at 5-5. Zheng rallied to win the tie-break, taking three consecutive points to win it 7-5.
Early in the second set, Zheng’s first-serve percentage dropped and Shnaider broke for 2-1, but the top seed broke right back and followed up with another for a 4-2 lead which she would not relinquish.
In Austria, Jack Draper will face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti on Saturday afternoon for a place in the final of the Vienna Open. The winner will face either Karen Khachanov or Alex de Minaur, who meet in the second semi-final.
