Katie Boulter believes British tennis is going from strength to strength after a historic afternoon of quarter-final action at the LTA’s Lexus Surbiton Trophy.
The British No.3 joined Lily Yuriko Miyazaki and Katie Swan in the semi-finals of the West London tournament following an emphatic 7-5 6-2 win against 2021 Wimbledon quarter-finalist Viktorija Golubic.
Three British semi-finalists in the women’s singles is the most in the tournament’s history, while there were four home-grown quarter-finalists for the first time since 2017.
Ahead of a fascinating match against Yanina Wickmayer, and a chance to set up a first-ever all-British final, Boulter praised the performances of her compatriots.
“It tells us that the depth in British tennis is getting better and better,” said the 26-year-old.
“We are getting stronger and hopefully we can keep doing this.
“I really hope that the girls perform week in and week out because I think the talent is all there, it is just a matter of getting the results that we need.
“The reality of tennis is that it is week in and week out, it is not a sprint it is a marathon and you have to keep reminding yourself that and keep working hard.
“Keep your head down and ultimately you will get there eventually if you put the work in.”
The Brits have been well supported under stunning sunshine in West London.
And Boulter says it is special to have a home crowd supporting her.
She said: “It definitely is really nice to be back behind a home crowd, it is a special feeling.
“It is not easy, because you do not get that every single week, and you have to find that spirit and that same buzz that you can get in Japan or France of wherever you might be.
“So, to have it behind you and lifting you up from the first point is really special.”
Katie Swan booked her place in the final with an incredible win over top seed Tatjana Maria, coming from a set behind to beat the 2022 Wimbledon semi-finalist 3-6 6-3 6-4.
Swan will take on British No.7 Lily Yuriko Miyazaki in the next round after she ended 16-year-old Isabelle Lacy’s fairytale run with a 6-3 6-0 victory on Court 1.
In the only quarter-final match without a British hopeful, Wickmayer booked her place in the semis with a 4-6 6-4 7-6(4) triumph over Ukraine’s Daria Snigur.
And the Leicester player was delighted to get a big win over an opponent with plenty of big-match experience.
She added: “I knew it was going to be a really tough match going into it, she is clearly a very established player on grass, she has made the quarter-finals of Wimbledon.
“I knew I was going to have to play some of my best tennis and I feel like I did.
“I used the wind as much as I could and the conditions, it was a bit of a battle in the first set but I squeezed through.
“I do think I was playing better tennis, but I was just marginally off but in the second set I think I served really well.
“I haven’t been here in years, so it was a little bit of a shock to the system to see a lot of wind, but it is part of tennis and I find it a challenge that I get excited by.
“We put a lot of emphasis on the grass-court season, of course, it is huge.”It is an opportunity for us to shine and play on courts that suit us all.”
For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website
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