Boulter beats Sakatsume in Osaka after rain delays stretch opener over two days

Katie Boulter reached the second round of the Japan Open on Tuesday, completing a 6-3 6-1 win over Japanese wild card Himeno Sakatsume after rain forced their match into a second day. BBC Sport reported that the British player returned to court in Osaka with a set and a 3-1 lead and finished without dropping another game.

The scoreline concealed repeated pressure on Boulter's serve. According to BBC Sport, the 30-year-old faced 13 break points but surrendered serve just once, while converting five of her own nine opportunities. Saving 12 break points allowed her to keep control of a match in which Sakatsume repeatedly had chances to make the contest closer.

Boulter said the overnight interruption had been difficult because she wanted to continue playing on Monday. In comments carried by BBC Sport, she explained that her priority on returning was to recreate the same mindset and concentrate on completing the match. She was pleased to avoid being taken into a deciding set after the enforced wait.

Sky Sports reported that the weather had disrupted the contest more than once. The players initially left the uncovered court after only three games, with Sakatsume ahead 2-1. They subsequently resumed before another stoppage arrived with Boulter leading 6-3 3-1 and holding a 40-30 advantage in the next game. That second interruption pushed the finish into Tuesday.

The completed match lasted one hour and 32 minutes, according to Sky Sports. Boulter, ranked 58th, had arrived after second-round elimination at the China Open and a first-round exit in Wuhan. Sky reported that she had played only three matches since September 30 before the Osaka victory, which brought her record over her most recent 40 matches to 20 wins and 20 defeats.

Her next opponent is Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic, with a quarter-final place at stake. For Boulter, the immediate task of negotiating a repeatedly interrupted opener is complete: she held seven of her eight service games overall, Sky Sports reported, and advanced in straight sets despite the opportunities Sakatsume created on return.