British Number Two Katie Boulter to Kick Off Nottingham Open Defence Against Lulu Sun
The Nottingham Open is set to commence with a highly anticipated first-round match between British number two Katie Boulter and New Zealander Lulu Sun. According to Sports Mole, Boulter, the two-time defending champion, will look to kick off her defence with a win on home soil.
Boulter has a special connection with the Nottingham Open, having collected both her first and most recent top-level singles titles at the event. She won her first title in 2023, defeating compatriot Jodie Burrage in the final, and successfully defended her crown in 2024 against former world number one Karolina Pliskova. As Sports Mole reports, Boulter has not added another major honour to her collection since, but she came close in Hong Kong in November, only to be outwitted by Diana Shnaider in the championship match.
However, Boulter’s preparation for the Nottingham Open was not without its challenges. She suffered a second-round loss to Shnaider at Queen’s, which resulted in her being leapfrogged by doubles partner Emma Raducanu at the summit of the British tennis rankings. Nevertheless, Boulter will look to regain her British number one status, and a successful defence of her Nottingham Open title could be the perfect start.
On the other hand, Lulu Sun has had a difficult 2025, losing in the first round at both the Australian Open and French Open. As noted by Sports Mole, Sun’s only recent successes came in the opening stage of the Libema Open, where she convincingly defeated Dutchwoman Anouck Vranken Peeters, and a second-round win in the same tournament. However, she was quickly dispatched by Bianca Andreescu in the second round, failing to convert any of her four break points.
The two players have a previous meeting on their record, with Sun winning in straight sets 6-4 6-4 at ITF level in 2023. However, Sports Mole expects Boulter to avenge that loss and kick off her defence with a straightforward success.
In their head-to-head record, Boulter and Sun have only met once before, with Sun emerging victorious in their ITF level encounter. However, Sports Mole believes that Boulter’s experience on grass and her strong record at the Nottingham Open make her the favourite to win this match.
As Sports Mole concludes, “Sun’s ability to pull off a giant killing on grass is well-documented, but consistency has eluded her all season long, while Boulter came out all guns blazing against Shnaider at Queen’s before running out of steam.” With the British faithful rallying behind her, Boulter is expected to emerge victorious in two sets.
In related news, tennis fans can look forward to a potential second-round clash between Boulter and either Sonay Kartal or an unknown qualifier. For more tennis news and previews, fans can sign up for Sports Mole’s daily email of previews and predictions for every major game.
Source link
