Katie Boulter, the third-highest ranked female tennis player from Britain, experienced another setback with a straight-sets defeat against Eva Lys, ranked 44th globally, during the opening round of the Pan Pacific Open held in Tokyo.
Boulter, aged 29, suffered a 6-2, 6-1 loss in a match that lasted for one hour and 14 minutes against the 23-year-old German competitor.
Having successfully navigated two qualifying rounds, she stood as the sole British representative in the main tournament draw, following Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal due to illness, which also brought her season to an early conclusion.
The British athlete managed to secure only 50% of the points when serving her first serve and had her serve broken on five occasions by Lys.
This most recent loss extends a period of unfavorable results for Boulter, who previously held the 29th position in global rankings, as she has been unable to advance beyond the second round of any tournament since the Nottingham Open in June.
Furthermore, it follows just five days after Boulter’s straight-sets defeat in the second round of the Japan Open against Sorana Cirstea, who is ranked 51st in the world.
In other matches, Fran Jones, the fourth-highest ranked female tennis player from Britain, was defeated in straight sets by China’s Wang Xiyu in the first round of the Guangzhou Open.
Jones, who was seeded seventh, had her serve broken four times during the match, ultimately losing 6-4, 6-4 to Wang Xiyu, who is currently ranked 163rd in the world.
