Boulter upsets Noskova at Japan Open

British number three Katie Boulter moved into the second round of the Japan Open after an impressive win over world number 17 Linda Noskova.

The world number 59 beat her Czech opponent 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in one hour and 36 minutes in Osaka to set up a second-round tie against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.

It was Boulter’s first victory against a top-20 opponent since beating Paula Badosa at Wimbledon in July.

“I’m really pleased with my performance today. It’s been a difficult few weeks,” said Boulter.

“I just tried to bet on myself – to commit to the ball and go for it.

Both players lost their serve three times in the first set but Boulter dominated the tie-break to take an advantage.

Boulter improved significantly in the second set, when she won 78% of points on serve compared to 51% during the first set.

The victory was much-needed after a disappointing summer.

The 29-year-old came into the match on the back of five opening-round defeats from seven tournaments, slipping behind Sonay Kartal in the rankings to become Britain’s number three.

Cirstea came from behind to beat Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima 2-6 6-4 6-2 to set up the match against Boulter.