Boulter advances in Hong Kong as Norrie ends ATP win drought in Paris

Katie Boulter reached 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 fellow Briton Cameron Norrie also advanced, beating Matteo Arnaldi in three sets at the Paris Masters to claim his first ATP Tour win since August.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBQ8aqBQLZo

Boulter led 5-2 in the second set when she complained to the umpire about a point that was not replayed following an audible noise from outside. Golubic broke her serve in that game, and Boulter then lost her next service game as well. The British number one eventually settled the contest in a tie-break, winning it by seven points to two.

Reflecting on the finish, Boulter said she had been playing well enough to close out the match earlier but allowed the umpiring judgement to affect her. She linked her reaction partly to tiredness at the end of the season, while acknowledging that it was something to learn from. Despite losing her advantage, she recovered to complete the victory without needing a deciding set.

Boulter, ranked 49th in the world, had also beaten the 89th-ranked Golubic during her run to the Japan Open semi-finals last month. She will face American Claire Liu in the next round in Hong Kong, where she was the losing finalist in 2024. Her next assignment is now set after she recovered from losing two consecutive service games late in the second set.

In Paris, Norrie defeated Arnaldi 6-4 1-6 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes. After losing an early break advantage in the opening set, he immediately broke again and took the set in 36 minutes. Arnaldi responded by breaking Norrie three times in the second set, but Norrie regained control in the decider, moving 3-1 ahead before completing the win.

Arnaldi entered the match ranked 36th, nine places above Norrie. Speaking to Sky Sports, Norrie described a difficult year and said expectations had sometimes left him struggling to play freely. He said he wanted to enjoy individual points, trust his skills and approach matches with a greater willingness to play to win.