British No 1 Katie Boulter knocked out of the Australian Open by Chinese 12th seed Zheng
The Chinese 12th seed, Zheng, eliminated British No. 1 Boulter from the Australian Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory. Despite a resilient effort from Boulter, Zheng secured the win in an intense final service game that extended to a sixth deuce. Zheng capitalized on her sixth match point with an ace to conclude the match.
In the same game, Boulter had six break-point opportunities, initially gaining a 0-40 lead. However, she couldn’t convert any of them, leading to the conclusion of her tournament. The battle on the court included an epic final service game from Zheng, who ultimately emerged victorious.
After Zheng dominated the first set, Boulter managed to break serve for a 3-2 lead in the second set. However, blustery conditions played a role, as Boulter double-faulted twice in the following game, surrendering her advantage. Boulter faced another break, and her first serve continued to elude her. Another double fault all but sealed her fate, although she briefly threatened a comeback as Zheng served for the match. Ultimately, Zheng’s control and aces secured her a straight-sets victory over Boulter.
