Katie Boulter is facing Akasha Urhobo at the French Open. Urhobo started nervously but is settling into the match. Boulter secured an early break.
Urhobo’s Growing Confidence
Akasha Urhobo is growing into the match. Holding serve in the previous game is helping her confidence. According to Leon Smith, Urhobo was nervous at the start, but if she settles, she has game.
Urhobo is physical and hunts for the forehand, wanting to run around her backhand. Smith suggests exploiting the space away from her forehand in her forehand corner if you can rush her.
Urhobo smacked a backhand winner down the line. However, she then lost her radar with a long forehand.
Boulter’s Strategy
Boulter has to back her game and not over-complicate it. Leon Smith notes that Boulter plays offensively and hits the ball quite flat. She needs to try to rush her opponent as much as possible.
Boulter executed a body serve, saving a break point. She also struck a cross-court forehand winner.
Key Moments in the Match
Akasha Urhobo’s serve came under pressure after three unforced errors in four points. Urhobo broke back after a forehand battle where she was on top of the baseline. She came into the net, drop-shot Katie Boulter and then hit the drive volley into the centre of the court.
- Urhobo’s aggressive forehand went wide on Boulter’s second serve.
- Boulter completed the hold to 30.
- A net cord went against Akasha Urhobo.
Urhobo opened up the court, dragging Boulter into the tramlines on her forehand side, but went long with her cross-court backhand.
There’s a little bit of pressure on Katie Boulter’s serve. After committing a second double-fault of the match, she got on the backfoot in a baseline exchange and poked a forehand long before finding herself stranded at the net. Two break points for Akasha Urhobo.
Both players are still trying to find their radar with their groundstrokes.