BOULT FROM BLUE
Katie dedicates shock win to her late gran
KATIE BOULTER dedicated the biggest win of her career to her departed gran as emotions ran high at SW19.
The 25-year-old reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time after beating last year’s runner-up Karolina Pliskova.
Boulter then broke down in front of a Centre Court crowd including her grieving grandad.
She said: “It’s been a tough few days, for sure. I’ve tried to kind of get my emotions out and deal with the situation, try to keep my head on the tennis.
“I was lucky because my grandpa managed to come down from Leicester and so we could keep him company and keep supporting him at the same time.
“I actually had a phone call from my grandpa the night before I played my first-round match.
“He didn’t mention anything but he gave me the inkling that it might be coming.
“I didn’t know anything until my mum basically pulled me aside and told me after the first match.”
Boulter’s emotional win over the No.6 seed was the perfect tonic for the home crowd.
Centre Court was captivated as the bounding Boulter stepped enthusiastically into the void left by Emma Raducanu’s exit, coming back from a set down to dismiss last year’s runner-up 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4.
It was a magnificent win and one that took the wildcard into uncharted territory at a Slam.
As a hardcore Leicester fan, though, Boulter knows not to put a ceiling on what may be possible from here.
If Leicester could win the Premier League in 2016 at odds of 5000/1, her take is why can’t she win Wimbledon in 2022?
She said: “What do the bookies say mine are? I hope I can take a leaf out of their book. I’ve got a lot of support from the Foxes.
“They were something else that year. Maybe I can create that this year. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself but I know I’ve put the work in to win some rounds. I just hope I can keep the momentum going.
“I just look forward to going out there, enjoying myself and having a smile on my face.
“I don’t think it gets any better than playing on Centre Court – it’s the pinnacle of tennis.
“Getting my first win on there is going to give me a lot of energy going through many more rounds.”
For the record, Boulter is a mere 300-1 to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish heading into her third round clash with Serena Williams’ conqueror Harmony Tan.
At 25, she is a delayed overnight sensation having long promised a run like this, only to be held back by injury or illness.
With a clean bill of health this Wimbledon, Boulter dropped a heavy hint over what she might be capable of with victory over Pliskova at Eastbourne last week.
And to Centre Court’s delight, she seized her moment once again against the Czech.
It was the culmination of a journey that began as a fouryear-old at Beacon Tennis Club in the Leicestershire village of Woodhouse Eaves, where she would try to beat her older brother James under the watchful eye of tennis coach mum Sue.
Never far away was her gran Jill, whose passing earlier this week made yesterday’s win such a poignant one.
Boulter said: “Her favourite tournament was Wimbledon. That’s why it’s a special one for me. She’d watch every single match that was on the TV.
“She was always someone who has been right into tennis from stage one. She lived just down the road from the tennis club I started playing at.
“I’ve spent a lot of time on the courts there with my grandparents and my family. There are a lot of memories, ones I cherish.”