Katie collects £20k and bolts
British No 3 pulls out in French farce
WHEN Katie Boulter was pictured at the Chelsea Flower Show on Tuesday, it never looked likely she would play at this year’s French Open.
Her appearance in the women’s singles draw on Thursday night was a surprise, less so the fact that she withdrew yesterday because of the back injury that has been plaguing her.
And in the first instance of her career being tainted by controversy, she walked away with the £20,000 compensation handed out to those who pull out late from a Grand Slam.
This was because the British No 3 managed to turn up at Roland Garros to have a medical check, confirming that she was unfit to play.
By putting in an appearance, she was able to claim half the first-round loser’s £40,000, taking advantage of a rule designed to deter players from taking to the court injured.
While acting within the letter of the law, there does seem to have been a breach of its spirit, as nobody inside British tennis expected her to be fit after hurting her back during the Fed Cup over Easter. She has not played since and is even doubtful for Wimbledon.
Boulter was in no mood to discuss the matter yesterday after watching her friend Katie Swan’s defeat in the final round of qualifying, briskly walking away from reporters who attempted to quiz her about the background to this unfortunate episode. On social media earlier she had insisted: ‘ I was still hoping to have a chance of competing but doctors have advised me not to take a risk with my back.’
If she was hopeful of playing, being back in the UK and accompanying Laura Robson to the Flower Show while not practising on the clay was a strange way of showing it.
In fairness to Boulter, she is new to the top echelons of the sport and the temptations to game the system, and she does not appear to have been well-advised on this occasion.
Her agents also represent David Beckham and Neymar and perhaps if there was more understanding of how tennis works, then this week would not have been allowed to unfold the way it has done.
It certainly seems out of character for her and the way she has conducted her career to date.
Another strange withdrawal yesterday was that of Nick Kyrgios, who was due to face Britain’s Cam Norrie in an intriguing first-round clash.
The Australian, who also claimed £20,000 but whose circumstances are different from Boulter’s, pulled out citing ‘illness’, despite the fact that he was not due to play until the start of next week.
His build-up to the clay Grand Slam had been typically unorthodox. Earlier this week, he had a hit with Andy Murray at Wimbledon, while also posting an Instagram video in which he said the French Open ‘sucks’. It will now suck without him, while Norrie will face French qualifier Elliot Benchetrit.
Dan Evans has revealed how he was taken aback by the simplicity of Roger Federer’s training regime when he was asked to train with him in Switzerland last month.
The British No 3, who will face Fernando Verdasco in the first round, had his accommodation paid for by Federer when he was invited for several days to Felsberg, close to where the Swiss legend has a mountain home.
Evans admitted he had learned a lot from their three days together, and pointed out how Federer’s methods contrast with the more sports-science approach favoured by a lot of Lawn Tennis Association coaching.
‘I was pretty surprised with how simple a lot of the drills were and it was a bit of an eye-opener comparing what’s being done in our country to what the greatest tennis player of all time does,’ said Evans.
‘He was so down to earth off the court, it was a bit surreal sometimes how we ate lunch and stuff — he didn’t hide away or anything.
‘It was pretty relaxed and then when we were hitting, it was strictly business. Then we would sit down and talk, it was just very normal.’