Katie Boulter saw her run at the Japan Open come to an end in the semi-finals following a 6-1, 6-4 defeat to doubles world number one Katerina Siniakova in Osaka. The match marked Boulter’s first tournament appearance since she temporarily lost the British number one ranking to Sonay Kartal, who had advanced past her in the world rankings after reaching the final of the Wuhan Open.
Despite missing out on a place in the final and a shot at capturing her fifth Women’s Tennis Association singles title, Boulter’s progression to the last four in Osaka—highlighted by a quarter-final victory over Antonia Ruzic—ensures she will reclaim the top British ranking when the official standings are next updated. The 30-year-old struggled initially against Siniakova, getting swept aside in a swift opening set. However, the eighth-seeded Briton mounted a challenge at the start of the second set, securing an early break to shift the momentum.
Siniakova, also 30, weathered the shift and continued her pursuit of a first singles title in four years. She responded by claiming two hard-fought breaks of her own to close out the contest in 85 minutes, advancing to Sunday’s championship match.
In Sunday’s final, Siniakova is scheduled to face 2023 champion Ashlyn Krueger. The 22-year-old American earned her spot in the title match by defeating compatriot and top seed Ann Li with a score of 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3.
Simultaneously, tournament action in China saw Kazakhstan’s world number one Elena Rybakina advance to her sixth final of the season at the Ningbo Open. Rybakina, capturing her first final appearance since winning the US Open in September, defeated sixth seed Diana Shnaider 6-3, 7-5. The defending champion will meet Canada’s Leylah Fernandez on Sunday after Fernandez secured a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Czech player Marie Bouzkova.
