Boulter wins battle of the Brits to claim first WTA title

NOTTINGHAM: Katie Boulter won her first WTA Tour title on Sunday, beating Jodie Burrage 6-3 6-3 in the Nottingham Open in the first all-British final at this level for 46 years.

Boulter cemented her position as British No. 1 and will move to a career high inside the world’s top 80.

“I’m definitely going to be sleeping with this trophy tonight,” said Boulter, who grew up in nearby Leicester.

“I dreamt of this moment since I was a little girl, training here at four or five years old, coming here as a fan and now having coming here as a player. I dreamt big and it means more than everything to me.”

The last all-British final on the WTA Tour was in 1977 when Sue Barker beat Virginia Wade in San Francisco.

“We appreciate it’s an all-British final and what an incredible achievement it is,” added Boulter.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray claimed a second title in two weeks at the Nottingham Open to continue his fine preparation for Wimbledon.

The three-time Grand Slam champion followed up his win at Surbiton last week with a flawless display to beat Frenchman Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 6-4 to claim the tournament without dropping a set.

Murray’s 10-match winning streak is now his best since he topped the world rankings in 2017 and before he required career-threatening hip surgery.

After winning two Challenger Tour events, the 36-year-old faces a step up in quality when he heads to the ATP 500 event at Queen’s Club this week, where he will face world number 18 Alex de Minaur in the first round.

But a strong showing at the tournament he has won five times could improve Murray’s ranking sufficiently to be seeded at Wimbledon next month.