LONDON:
British wildcard Katie Boulter dedicated Thursday’s shock second-round win at Wimbledon against 2021 finalist Karolina Pliskova to her late grandmother, who died this week.
Boulter, 25, came from a set down to beat the Czech sixth seed 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 on Center Court, to the delight of the home fans.
“I have absolutely no words right now,” said the emotional world number 118, whose grandfather watched her win.
“I am literally shaking. The crowd was unbelievable, so thank you for getting me through that.
“I’m probably going to get emotional. My grandmother died two days ago so I’d like to dedicate that to her today.
“It’s a dream come true for me and if I can have you behind me I can probably go a long way.”
Pliskova, who also lost to Boulter last week in Eastbourne, broke twice in the opening set to establish a firm grip on the match but Boulter won the second-set tie-break to level.
A single break in the decider was enough for the British player, who hit 25 winners, to seal victory.
She will next face Serena Williams conqueror Harmony Tan after the French player beat Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, seeded 32, 6-3, 6-4.
In her post-match press conference Boulter said she had only learned of her grandmother’s death after her first match on Tuesday.
“I actually had a phone call from my grandpa the night before I played,” she said. “He didn’t mention anything, but he kind of gave me the inkling that it might be coming.
“I didn’t know anything until after my first match where my mum basically pulled me aside and told me.”
Boulter said Wimbledon had been her grandmother’s favorite tournament.
“That’s why it’s a special one for me,” she said. “Yeah, she’d watch every single match that was on the TV.
“I’ve tried to kind of get my emotions out and deal with the situation, try and 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.”
