Los Angeles: Britain’s Katie Boulter won the biggest title of her career on Sunday, defeating Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 to claim the WTA San Diego Open title.
The 27-year-old player, whose only previous WTA crown came last June in Nottingham, reached the top thirty of the world rankings for the first time in her career.
Boulter upset third seed Emma Navarro of the United States in the semifinals.
Kostyuk, ranked 34th, beat top seed Jessica Pegula to reach the final but struggled after winning the first set against the great Briton.
After rain forced a delay in the final, Boulter handed the Ukrainian a hard-fought first set on her seventh set point after double-faulting.
But when she forced herself back from 5-2 to 5-5 in that set, Boulter’s momentum was there and she took it into the second set. A fine forehand winner down the line put her 3-1 up and she broke again for a 5-2 lead en route to forcing a third set.
As Kostyuk tired, Boulter grew in confidence and broke her opponent twice before firing two emphatic aces in the final game.
Boulter converted seven of her 11 break points and saved seven of the 11 she faced in a win that moves her up to world No. 27.
“I really didn’t think I’d be standing here with a trophy now, I really didn’t,” said Boulter, who was cheered on by her Australian friend Alex de Minaur, who had flown in after winning the ATP title in Acapulco on Saturday.
