Harmony Tan match after the thrill of looking at a famous star on the most prestigious stage, and finding the most impressive version of herself at the situation demanded nothing less, Katie Boulter arrived for the start of a new season on No 2 Court in one of the most difficult scenarios a player could face when they are given the chance.
There was never before that either Boulter and Harmony Tan reached the third round of a grand Slam and only three rankings between them, No 118 and 115. They had defeated Karolina Pliskova and Serena Williams in the crowded and secluded courts in Centre Court, yet here they were in a game that wouldn’t have been odd at an entry-level ITF event , even the fact that a grand slam’s fourth round and PS190,000 was in the balance.
However, in the end, Boulter never had a chance. Her breakthrough Wimbledon ended up coming to an end with a brutal smack in the end as Tan skilledly slayed her opponents and exposed her weak points. In a stunning performance, the Frenchwoman kept up her winning streak at Wimbledon by destroying Boulter 6-1 in just 51 minutes and advancing to an additional week in the grand slam in the very first time.
Later on, Boulter stated that she was “emotionally depleted” following her performances both at Wimbledon as well as over all of grass court season, having just recovered from an injury. Boulter felt ill from the start of her warm-up routine in the morning. “I kind of changed from a zero to a hundred fairly fast,” she said. “This week is probably the turning point. I’ve had some fantastic matches. It’s also been extremely emotional. I’m convinced that today was one step too far for me.”
The decision of the All England Club to not to place their game on the two best courts been criticized by some buteven a huge crowd of 100,000 could have been unable to stop the pace of Tan her game, which has only increased after her first round victory against Williams.
From the very beginning, Tan was sublime. She displayed all of her skills again and made Boulter uneasy by making her make her move through drop shots, backhand slices sliding low, and she took it through the net without a hit. She refused to let Boulter to take the same shot twice in a row. The British player was able to spray errors and overhits as she searched for her rhythm while having to create all the speed with the ball by herself.
Contrary to Williams who was a sloppy player, and where every other forehand of her was cut, Tan also imposed herself. She pushed Boulter by using her forehand. threading winners , and showing her poor technique. She was able to flash passes with ease. Tan was also a good server which is usually a sign of weakness she ended one set having three straight aces to end the match. The pressure that was constant on Boulter, point after point, caused Boulter to take on more risks and make more mistakes. Tan ended the match with an almost flawless five errors that were not forced, and 16 wins.
Although the victory on Thursday against Pliskova was an expression of Boulter’s talent and the tools she had she had at her disposal was an opportunity to highlight her weaknesses. In charge of generating pace in the court herself in contrast to Pliskova and also tackling an opponent who is difficult to beat at a high-quality quality, Boulter looked out of thoughts when her first match was over. She was crushed by her opponent, she double-failed on match point , ending an arduous day on the court.
Tan’s rise to fame Tan can be seen as a sign of the talent outside of the top 100 that often requires the right conditions to blossom. Tan said that even though she was from a prosperous country, she did not receive much support during her early years. She pointed to her former coach, Nathalie Tauziat as one of the few who was a believer in her. “When I was a young girl they advised me that I could never be a great player in this sport and it was difficult for me. I was not able to get any support, and financialally it was really difficult,” she said.
In the days before Wimbledon, Tan played on the grass courts at the WTA the 125 tournament in Gaiba. The first high-level Italian event played on grass courts was created on an old football field. There was an issue the ball simply didn’t bounce. Tan made it to the semi-finals by serving and volleying, as well as trying her best to prevent the ball from bouncing. The tournament was a great opportunity to improve her skills and on the beautiful court of Wimbledon she has thriving. “I simply return her serve as I do, and I play some slice, dropping shots, volleys, and it all worked this morning,” she said. She smiled. “I suspect she doesn’t appreciate my play.”
