Katie Boulter lost to Linda Noskova, 2-6, 6-7, in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals.
Her defeat confirmed Great Britain’s exit from the Billie Jean King Cup. Sonay Kartal had lost the opening singles match in straight sets to Marie Bouzkova.
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Great Britain failed to reach the Billie Jean King Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2023. During the post-match press conference, Boulter delivered her verdict on the tie.
Katie Boulter admits she put ‘too much pressure’ on herself during Linda Noskova defeat
“Yeah, for me, I felt like I probably put a little bit too much pressure on myself in the first set to play well. I think I know what it takes to beat someone like that: it takes my best level, plus much more,” said Boulter.
“I think sometimes I can get wrapped up in not playing the ball. I felt like I did that for a couple of games. Also, I think when you’re playing a player like that, I don’t feel like you really get many chances. I think at the start of a match, when it’s very level, I think sometimes you find that those players can get a little bit nervous, and you have a good shot to kind of get off to a good lead. I think I put that into my head a little bit too much.
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Katie Boulter vs Linda Noskova – Match stats
|
Stats |
Katie Boulter |
Linda Noskova |
|
Aces |
4 |
15 |
|
Double faults |
5 |
2 |
|
1st Serve % |
54% |
71% |
|
2nd Serve % |
85% |
90% |
|
Win % on 1st Serve |
75% |
78% |
|
Win % on 2nd Serve |
55% |
71% |
|
Break points |
0/0 (0%) |
2/6 (33%) |
|
Points won |
63 |
76 |
Katie Boulter vs Linda Noskova – Match stats
“I think I started to find it; I started to build my way into it. I felt like I did a great job of putting that behind me and trying to move forward, and I focused a lot more on my own service games, trying to give myself chances on her service games.
“I mean, she’s serving 170 second serves. It’s pretty tough to get into games like that. I feel like I’m taking risks the whole time. That’s what it takes against someone who has won a Slam this year and is top 10. If I want to play at that level, I have to take risks, go for it, and not be scared.
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“I think that was the difference between the first two sets. I think I played passively in the first set, and I went for it more in the second when I became more comfortable.”
Boulter played better in the second set, forcing Noskova into a tiebreaker, but it wasn’t enough. The Briton lost to a top-10 player for the sixth time this year.
Katie Boulter’s record vs top-10 players in 2026 (1-6)
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Australian Open 1R [LOSS] vs Belinda Bencic (10th), 0-6, 5-7
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Merida Open QF [LOSS] vs Jasmine Paolini (7th), 6-0, 3-6, 3-6
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Madrid Open 2R [LOSS] vs Jessica Pegula (5th), 4-6, 4-6
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Queen’s QF [WIN] vs Elena Rybakina (2nd), 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
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Cincinnati Open 2R [LOSS] vs Linda Noskova (8th), 3-6, 3-6
-
US Open 2R [LOSS] vs Karolina Muchova (7th), 1-6, 0-6
-
Billie Jean King Cup QF [LOSS] vs Linda Noskova (6th), 2-6, 6-7
She beat Elena Rybakina at Queen’s, playing one of the best matches of her career, although that was a rare shining light in a sea of disappointing defeats against the world’s elite.
If Boulter is to challenge for the biggest titles in tennis or help Great Britain win their first Billie Jean King Cup title, she must improve.
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Anne Keothavong backs Czechia to win the Billie Jean King Cup after Great Britain’s exit
Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, Anne Keothavong, was also asked for her thoughts after her side lost to Czechia 2-0 in the quarter-finals.
“Yeah, it was always going to be a tough challenge against the Czechs. Gee, look, Sonay [Kartal], that was her first match in six months. The level was pretty high out there against Bouzkova. Bouzkova didn’t give too much away. There was some fantastic tennis from Sonay. But that’s sport. That’s tennis. She gave everything. She left it all out there. I have no regrets about my decision. I hope she’s proud. I know she’s proud of the performance. Obviously, we would have loved a win, but we’ve got to maintain perspective,” she said.
“For Katie, look, she played with a lot of heart. It was a difficult start. Again, that’s sport. You have to deal with it, find a way. She did. She got herself into the match. The level was high. You’re taking on a Wimbledon champion. For both these players, it required their absolute best and a bit of luck for the result to go our way. I can’t fault their efforts. I think the Czechs are the strongest team here. I’d be surprised if they don’t go on to win this competition.”
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Czechia will return to play Spain or Kazakhstan in the semi-finals on Friday, September 25. The winner of that tie will meet Italy, China, Ukraine, or Belgium in the final on Sunday, September 27.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
