Boulter reaches Hong Kong last 16 as Norrie wins Paris opener

Katie Boulter moved into the last 16 of the Hong Kong Open with a 6-2 7-6 (7-2) victory over Viktorija Golubic, recovering after a distraction disrupted her attempt to serve out the match. BBC Sport reported that the British number one regained her composure in the tie-break after losing two successive service games late in the second set.

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Boulter was serving at 5-2 when she complained to the umpire about a noise from outside the court. She wanted the point replayed because of the distraction, but it was not. Golubic broke serve in that game and again in Boulter's next service game, taking a match that had been close to a straight-sets finish into a second-set tie-break.

The world number 49 said afterwards that she had been playing well enough to finish the match earlier, but that the umpiring judgement had unsettled her. She attributed her reaction in part to tiredness at the end of the season, while acknowledging that she normally handles such interruptions better. Boulter ultimately won the tie-break 7-2 to complete the victory without needing a deciding set.

Boulter, the Hong Kong runner-up in 2024, will face American Claire Liu in the next round. She had also beaten the 89th-ranked Golubic at the Japan Open last month, during a run to the semi-finals. This latest meeting again ended in Boulter's favour, although the closing stages required her to recover from the loss of her second-set advantage.

In Paris, Cameron Norrie reached the second round of the Masters event by defeating Italy's Matteo Arnaldi 6-4 1-6 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes. It was his first ATP Tour win since August, according to BBC Sport. Norrie lost an early break advantage in the opening set but immediately broke again, then served out the set after 36 minutes.

Arnaldi broke Norrie three times to take the second set, before the British number two recovered in the decider. A break for a 3-1 lead helped Norrie close out the match. Speaking to Sky Sports, Norrie described a difficult year and said he wanted to put less pressure on himself, enjoy each point and approach matches with greater freedom.