Katie Boulter beats Golubic to reach Hong Kong Open last 16

Katie Boulter advanced to the Hong Kong Open's last 16 with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) victory over Viktorija Golubic, recovering from a disrupted finish to the second set. BBC Sport reported that the British number one was twice broken while trying to serve out the match before settling the contest in a tie-break.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thuxPR-XIg0

The difficulty began with Boulter leading 5-2 in the second set. She complained to the umpire after an outside noise distracted her and the point was not replayed. Golubic broke in that game and again on Boulter's next service turn, extending a match that the Briton had been close to finishing.

Afterwards, Boulter acknowledged that she had allowed the decision to affect her. In comments reported by BBC Sport, she said she had been playing well and felt she should have completed the win earlier. She linked her reaction to tiredness late in the season, while recognising that she had recovered sufficiently to progress.

The match had also required an early turnaround. Sky Sports reporting carried by Manx Radio said Golubic broke Boulter early before the eighth seed responded by winning eight consecutive games, taking the opening set and establishing control of the second. A passing winner helped Boulter reach 4-1, and she later missed a match point on Golubic's serve before her two unsuccessful attempts to serve out the contest.

Boulter, ranked 49th in the world, eventually took the tie-break by seven points to two to record her fourth victory in five matches. That sequence follows her run to the Japan Open semi-finals last month, during which she also defeated Golubic. Sky Sports reported that the Osaka run had restored Boulter to British number one, ahead of Sonay Kartal.

The 30-year-old will next play American Claire Liu, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. Hong Kong is a tournament where Boulter has previously gone deep: she reached the final in 2024. This time, her opening win keeps her campaign moving after a second-set interruption that threatened to undo her earlier advantage.